Speak No Evil, See No Lies
by halfatheory357
Summary: In pursuit of the Avatar, Zuko find help from a mysterious person, but so does Aang along with a teacher for fire and earth. But that’s only the beginning of their problems. It's out of this world! Literally! KatxAang, ZukoxOC? You may be surprised...
1. What Started it All

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional. Except when noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits, all celebrities voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: UPDATE: Thank you for choosing this fic. This story has gone from my 8th grade year and well into almost five years later, which roughly equals about ten chapters a year (lots of writers block). So to those who will want to read all whichever-some chapters, I say thank you. Or for those who completely forgot what this story was about, or for those who are just a little too lazy to read it all, or even those who may think these 'new people' are Mary Sues (admittedly, they started out that way but years of working on this story has helped me to modify them) then I say to you "Got to chapter 49." I have painstakingly and probably incorrectly provided a summary of every chapter. So if something wasn't clear or you just have ADD (like me...) or you were hoping to at least see how I modified the characters to fix the Sue-ism then there it is for you. And with that said, I bid you adieu.

Also, I rewrote this, mostly because I read about three seconds of it and my eyes burned, so there you go.

Chapter one: What Started it All

'-'

"Okay, I'm hungry, tired, and I _really_ need to use the bathroom right about now. How much longer are we going to be up here?" Sokka complained.

"There's no sight of land yet," Aang replied to him. But Sokka was right. He was tired, and it looked like Katara was too. Her eyes couldn't make up their mind whether to stay open or stay closed. But he couldn't see anything. No land, nothing. "Hey," he finally said after a few minutes, looking below him. "I think I see some kind of island." He was right. It was a rather large island, but either way, it was land. "Appa, yip-yip!" Appa immediately started to descend to the ground. It only took them a few minutes to touched land on the remote beach.

"Okay, we're on land, but where are we?" Sokka questioned. But no one was listening.

"Katara, wake up," Aang whispered. Katara opened her eyes slowly.

"Where are we?" she asked, throat a bit clouded.

"I'd like to know the same thing, but apparently, my questions don't matter," Sokka responded sarcastically.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you," Aang apologized. He took out the map and laid it on the sand. "Okay, we were here yesterday," pointing to an island near a larger continent of the Earth Kingdom, "and traveled south, so we must be on this island." He pointed to an island next to the continent.

"How did we miss that?" Sokka questioned.

"Well, no use just hanging out here," Aang settled. "Let's see who's on the island. Come on Appa." The trio made their way to the small village that resided up ahead, while Momo ran ahead to sniff at a sand crab. They had only gotten so far when a boulder was spontaneously thrown at them.

"Whoa!" they said at the same time. They ducked just in time, but another was thrown. They looked up to see their attackers.

"Who are you?" one man asked. Aang quickly recognized them as earthbenders. "Identify yourselves or we will attack!"

"We don't bring any harm!" Katara called. "We're just travelers!"

"We're just tired!" Sokka added. "Why would we attack you?"

"How are we to trust you?" another more official looking man asked. "We have just finished eradicating all the Fire Nation soldiers from our village and we're not about to let you ruin that in a few short seconds!"

"I'm sorry, let me explain," Aang said. "I'm the Avatar. We were just passing through and we stopped here… please, if you let us stay here just for the day, we promise that we won't do anything!" The guards looked at them suspiciously.

"You will be out by sundown?" the man asked. Aang's face twisted.

"Not so much," Aang frowned. "Would it be okay if we could stay for the night?" The man glared at the group.

"Would you swear on your life that you three are not Fire Nation?" the man frowned. The three exchanged a worried look but nodded vigorously. "And," the man added, "if you are found to be lying, we have the right to kill you on the spot, no questions?" Aang's eyes widened, but he nodded slowly.

"Very well," the man sighed, "hold your fire." The soldiers dropped their weapons. The man approached them, while Aang, Katara, and Sokka stood up, dusting the sand off of themselves.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

"Well, "Aang began. "This is Katara, this is Sokka, and I'm Aang." He looked them over, as if trying to see if they were lying.

"Very well. One day doesn't seem to be any harm. But then you leave _first_ thing in the morning, no negotiations." He turned on his heel without another word.

'-'

"Why are we stopping?" Zuko yelled at the captain. "I don't think you realize how far behind the Avatar we are!"

"Sir, there was a gas leak in the hull of the ship, and we need to pull over," the captain sighed histrionically.

"No, there can't be a gas leak!" Zuko continued to shout, pacing angrily back and forth. Iroh entered the control center, tea in hand and flipping a random Pai Sho tile in his hand.

"Who wants to play a game with me?" Iroh asked cheerfully. "I've got a great feeling in my gut and I want to play."

"Uncle, why are we stopping?" Zuko said through his teeth, keeping himself from lashing out at any more people. "We're six thousand kilometers away from the Avatar and they said we're stopping!"

Iroh became pensive and replied to his nephew, "I think there was a gas leak in the hull of the ship."

"That can't be!" Zuko shouted angrily. "We can fix it at sea; we don't need to pull over!"

"Prince Zuko, do you expect the crew to sleep on a ship that's filling slowly with toxic gas?" Iroh questioned. "You have to think of the well-being of your men."

"I can care less about some stupid gas leak!" Zuko snarled, flames shooting from his fists. "The Avatar's so close, we can lose his trail!"

"If you think he's six thousand kilometers away then it won't matter when we leave," Iroh shrugged. "He's more than half a world away. So if we wait just one day, it should not matter." Zuko's face was marked with pure aggravation. For the whole crew to ignore him was heresy. It was his ship, his rules, but no one seemed to notice. He yelled in anger and stormed out of the room, but he did not turn any heads.

Iroh turned to the men at work and repeated, "So who wants to play?"

'-'

"I'm liking this hat," Sokka said smugly, checking out the straw hat he put on his head in a mirror. "How much is it?"

"Five silver pieces," the old man said to him. "And for an additional silver piece, I'll throw in the hunter's hat as well." Sokka fished through his pocket for any sign of changed but only managed to pull out a piece of lint and string. Sokka frowned.

"I think I have some nuts," Sokka said almost urgently. "How 'bout I trade you those?" The old man shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, taking the hat from Sokka, "five silver pieces or nothing." Sokka threw his arms in the air as a sigh of defeat and dragged his feet back to Aang and Katara who were scanning over the food items available.

"How are you guys able to afford any of this?" Sokka asked them. "Do we even have any money?"

"I have two copper pieces and some nuts," Aang frowned. "Katara?"

"I do have a silver piece I found on the floor," Katara replied, "but other than that, I have nothing."

"Do you folks need any help?" a voice asked from behind. The trio turned around to see a close to middle-age woman standing behind them holding a basket, her long raven hair braided neatly behind her. "If you need any money, I'd be happy to give you some or food if you would like."

"Oh, we can't accept that," Katara grinned sheepishly, but the woman shook her head.

"Nonsense," the woman smiled. "I would have to be a fool not to give help to children in need." Sokka was about to protest the 'children' remark, but Aang elbowed him to keep him quiet. "I have a child of my own I take care of and it pains me to see you guys in need of assistance. And I would have to be a fool not to help the Avatar."

"How'd you know?" Aang asked.

"Those markings haven't been seen in a while," the woman laughed. "You're an airbender, are you not?" The woman readjusted the basket in her arms and continued, "You know, I run a small market, restaurant at my home, perhaps you would like a place to stay?"

"We would appreciate it very much," Aang thanked.

"Oh, I haven't properly introduced myself," the woman said embarrassed. "My name is Touka. I live nearby. You guys can come with me if you would like." The three of them nodded and followed Touka down the street.

"So how old is your child?" Katara asked Touka after a minute or two of walking.

"Well, I wouldn't say it's _my_ child exactly," Touka replied. "She's my niece. Her parents passed away, so I take care of her. She's about your age."

"Really?" Sokka replied, suddenly intrigued with what Touka had to say. "What's she like?"

"She's… unique," Touka responded reluctantly. "You'll see what I mean. She's hanging out with friends right now and I'm not sure when she'll be back." Their conversation lasted for just the right amount of time for they arrived at a small building that had the phrase "Farmer Market and Eatery" scrawled on a wooden sign. The woman withdrew a key and quickly unlocked it to allow them in. The place was small with only a few shelves and a small area with tables and chairs next to a counter.

"You have such a lovely store, Touka," Katara complimented. Touka smiled.

"Thank you, uh," Touka started, but realized she did not know any of their names.

"Oh, it's Katara," Katara smiled, "that's my brother Sokka, and this is Aang and Momo. We left Aang's sky bison just on the outside of town. He's too big to come here, anyways." Touka smiled and set the basket on the counter.

"I think there's a small barn up the hill somewhere. He can stay there if you'd like. Well, you've seen what's down here; why not see what's upstairs?" Touka suggested. "I'll make you guys something to eat. You look hungry." She walked up the stairs to the second floor, the group following closely. She led them upstairs and into a small living space with no more than two rooms. A kitchen quickly greeted them along with a small eating space and a sitting area. "It's not much, but it's the best we can do," Touka said, allowing the group to enter her humble home. "Now why don't I make you guys something to eat?"

'-'

"Why are we here, Uncle?" Zuko mumbled as they entered the small and shabby looking inn they entered.

"Prince Zuko, I thought we explained there was a gas leak?" Iroh responded with confusion. "Did you not understand?"

"I don't mean that!" Zuko yelled. "I mean, what are we doing here, specifically? Can't we get something nicer?"

"Not on Engoku," Iroh muttered. "Everything here, well, they don't have a government, so there's no money. And since there's no money, they have to use whatever they have. This is the best we could do." Zuko grunted and crossed his arms dramatically. "Excuse me, kind sir," Iroh said cheerfully to the clerk at the front counter. "I know it's getting late, but do you have any rooms available?" The man looked at him quizzically.

"I haven't had a customer all day, all week, even," he replied, slowly pulling out papers, "I don't even know why I came in today. Whatever, you guys are going to be the only ones in this godforsaken place."

"Oh, no, it's a gorgeous place!" Iroh lied. "It has such character!"

"I don't know what drugs you're taking," the man said candidly, "but this place is a dump. It always has been and it always will be. Now just sign here." Iroh signed the paper without hesitation but Zuko took the sheet from his uncle before he could hand it back.

"What is this?" Zuko barked at the clerk. The man rolled his eyes.

"It's a contract," he groaned as if it was not the first time. "It basically states that you have money to pay for your stay and if you're mugged, jumped, beaten, or killed during your stay at City Court Inn you cannot hold us responsible and in no way will you get any money back."

"That's ridiculous!" Zuko hollered, throwing the paper back at the man. "What kind of person makes people sign that kind of agreement?"

"Do you even realize where you are?" the man asked Zuko seriously. "Do you know how many times I've had soldiers come in here to stay that see other enemy soldiers so they attack? They attack each other and then what am I left with? A damaged lobby and angry soldiers demanding to know why I let their enemies stay here, and asking for their money back. To be honest, I really don't care anymore. I just want my money."

"That's a horrible thing to say!" Zuko scolded. "People are dying in your lobby and you don't care?"

"It's Engoku," the man said dully. "Most people here don't care anymore." He pulled out several metal keys and handed it to them. "Here are your room keys. You are to return them when you're done with your stay." Zuko snatched them rudely from the man's hand and stormed up the stairs.

"He's just stressed," Zuko faintly heard Iroh say to the clerk. "Do you know of any good restaurants near here by any chance?"

Zuko made it to the first landing where most of the rooms were. He grabbed one of the key at random and shoved it into a door, but of course it did not unlock. "Damn it to hell," Zuko gnarled, kicking the door aggressively. He yanked the key from the door and began trying it in each door, each one just as unsuccessful as the last. "Stupid keys don't even work," he growled only to see the key had a number on it, which only made him even more irritated. He went to the door with the corresponding number on it and attempted to unlock the door. Though the door was a little sticky it opened finally to introduce Zuko to a grey room with a chair but no beds. "I'm going to die in here," Zuko sighed, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. The room was almost pitch black, despite there being a glass door to a balcony. Zuko grabbed the nearest candle he could reach and lit it only to have several sparks fly from the wick. "I hate this place!" Zuko yelled only to hear the sound of tiny scuttling come from the corners. "Damn it!" he sighed when he saw several cockroach flies run from the corners. He could not take it. Not the darkness, not the dirty candle, not the bugs that infested his room, not the stale stench of death and dust. "How do people live in dumps like this?" He walked to the glass doors that were painted over poorly with a black coating to keep the light out and pulled them open only after applying much force. The balcony was small and overlooked the more individual villages that scattered the island, including several stores and homes. The fresh air was nice and his room needed to be aired out badly. Zuko grabbed the chair from his room and placed it on the balcony and just sat in it, too angry to do anything else.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh exclaimed when he opened the door to his nephew's room, not bothering to knock, "the crew is going out to a small restaurant across the street. Come with us, you'll have a great time."

"No thanks," Zuko replied. "I'm not hungry."

"Aren't you just enjoying your room?" Iroh asked with false cheer. "They are very unique and interesting, aren't they?"

"It's a hole," Zuko replied simply. "It doesn't deserve to be called an inn." Iroh sighed.

"If you want to eat, we will be across the street," Iroh said, deciding not to argue or attempt to persuade his nephew. He closed the door behind him, leaving Zuko alone to wallow in his self pity. Zuko propped his feet on the rail and leaned back in the chair, looking over the valley.

_This sucks_, Zuko thought. _I shouldn't be in this place. I'm Fire Nation royalty! These people should be groveling at my feet!_ Zuko knew that was a lie, but he could not help but think it. There was nothing at all to do. He was so angry he did not want to walk, meditate, bend, or even begin to fall asleep just so that he was a few hours closer to leaving this place. Zuko flexed his hand and continued scanning the horizon. A flock of birds passed over, several rodents jumped from tree to tree, the most interesting thing he did see was a fight on a nearby road between two groups of people. He jumped to his feet, wondering if anyone was going to do anything about it, or if anyone even knew there was a fight, but people knew. In fact in less than a minute several pedestrians stopped to watch the group of people fight. It was only when the fight began to escalade and some started getting killed did people walk away, simply ignoring the small battle that was being unleashed on their own street corner. Zuko sighed and tore his gaze from the fight, deciding if no one was going to do anything, then neither would he. He sat back down in his chair again, watching the orange sky meet with the mountains.

_These people are barbarians. Who would act so inhumanely?_

'-'


	2. Two many oddities

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional. Except when noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits, all celebrities voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: UPDATE: Thank you for choosing this fic. This story has gone from my 8th grade year and well into almost five years later, which roughly equals about ten chapters a year (lots of writers block). So to those who will want to read all whichever-some chapters, I say thank you. Or for those who completely forgot what this story was about, or for those who are just a little too lazy to read it all, or even those who may think these 'new people' are Mary Sues (admittedly, they started out that way but years of working on this story has helped me to modify them) then I say to you "Got to chapter 49." I have painstakingly and probably incorrectly provided a summary of every chapter. So if something wasn't clear or you just have ADD (like me...) or you were hoping to at least see how I modified the characters to fix the Sue-ism then there it is for you. And with that said, I bid you adieu.

Also, I rewrote this, mostly because I read about three seconds of it and my eyes burned, so there you go.

Chapter two: Two many oddities

'-'

"Man, Kuusai Isles is like _way_ cooler than any of the other places we've been to," Sokka said through a mouth full to burst with food. Out of some miracle, he was able to talk.

"Well, it's something until we get to a permanent-temporary place to stay," Aang stated, eating the food he knew he could eat. Sokka gave him a quizzical look.

"What he means is," Katara tried to explain, "that we can only stay here until tomorrow. You have to remember Sokka, Aang still needs to master all of the elements before that comet arrives."

"Which is like in what, seven months from now?" Sokka rationalized. "You have plenty of time. And besides, all you need is fire and earth." And he kept eating, not another word.

"That's true, but-"Aang was cut off when Touka's voice caught his attention.

"How's the food?" Touka asked the group. Each member smiled and she returned the complement, focusing back now on cleaning up the kitchen. "I can only apologize about the appearance of my home, I wasn't expecting visitors."

"That's okay," Katara forgave. "Your home is so lovely."

"My niece was supposed to be here a while ago, not quite sure what's taking her so long—"

"Aunt Touka, I'm home," a girl chimed from downstairs. The sound of footsteps echoed up the staircase when the feet finally stopped at the door.

"Oh, Tsuchi, I'm glad you have arrived," Touka sounded. "We have some guest for today I'd like you to meet." Tokua set the dish she was working on down and ran to the door to let the person waiting on the other side in.

The girl was Katara's height, what appeared to be her dark emerald hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, enough to cover the left side of her face. Her eyes were a bottle green; eyes that matched the bizarre outfit she was wearing. It looked cheaply modifies, a light green folded over shirt that was cut and hemmed ruggedly at the bottom, with the sleeves hacked off as well, but still worn as accessories. Her outfit should have covered her loose fitting black pants, but it did not, which made her look shorter than she really was.

"Uh, hi," the girl waved sheepishly. She bit her lip and stared at the ground. "Well, I-uh…"

"Well don't be shy," her aunt scolded, "introduce yourself."

"Yeah, I'm Tsuchi," the girl said curtly. "That's about it. Well, if you don't need me-"

"HI!" Aang had already sprung to his feet. "I'm Aang! And this," dragging her out of the door frame over to his friends, "is Katara and Sokka!" pointing to either one of them. Katara was polite and stood up.

"It's nice to meet you," Katara smiled, shaking Tsuchi's hand. Sokka on the other hand, just went back to shoveling food in his mouth. "And that is my belligerent brother." He glared at her, but continued eating.

"It seems you really enjoy the food there," Tsuchi raised her eyebrow. "My aunt's pretty good at that kind of stuff. Make sure you breathe in between bites before you choke." Touka glared at her niece and slapped her on the shoulder, but the girl paid no attention.

"I thought it was good," Aang reassured. "Oh, I forgot someone," he suddenly remembered when Momo hopped onto his shoulder, eating a papaya. "This is Momo, my lemur."

"He's soo cute!" Tsuchi smiled, reaching out a hand to pet him. Momo jumped from Aang's head to Tsuchi's making her squeal in laughter. Sokka on the other hand, snorted.

"What?" she eyed him.

"Ignore him," Katara glared. "He's just being immature."

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault girls squeal when they see something cute and fluffy," Sokka simply said, continuing to eat.

"How-"Aang was cut off when Sokka's dish went flying across the room, rice spilling everywhere. He apparently hit a nerve, because Tsuchi kicked the bowl right out of Sokka's grasp. A frightened Momo jumped back onto Aang's shoulder and an embarrassed Touka lunged forward.

"Tsuchi!" her aunt shouted at her.

"Hey!" Sokka frowned. "What was that for?"

"For being arrogant and a misogynist, that's what!" Tsuchi snapped. Katara nodded in agreement.

"I agree with her, that was really bias, Sokka."

"Okay, first of I don't even know what a misogynis-tic is. And second, it's true!"

"Well, the hell with that! That's not entirely true!" she stuck her tongue out at him. "I just happen to enjoy _other_ things that aren't cute and fluffy."

"Tsuchi, knock it off!" Touka hissed. "They are our guests!"

"Well, look what we have ourselves!" Sokka sneered, standing up. "A girl trying to fit in with boys! What do you like to do? Play fight with yourself?" At this point, Aang and Katara and even Touka watched both of them throw back lashes at each other, not even bothering to get in and stop the fight.

"If you knew any better, I could probably beat you up so bad you're insides will be pulped enough that the maggots and all of the tarantulas, spiders, and moths would come and feast on your living carcass," Tsuchi yelled at him. "And then the vultures will peck at your bones, scraping off the excess meat until there's nothing left but dust."

"Wow, a girl who plays with spiders!" Sokka said with sarcastic surprise. "Aren't you scared because spiders are _big_ hairy creatures that have more than four legs?" cheaply imitating a spider by wiggling his fingers.

"No, why should I? Only ten percent of _all_ spiders are poisonous, and even then, it's not like I care. You'd be surprised at how many spiders I have touched. And," she said slyly, "at how many insects that the village intentionally cooks." This caught both Katara and Aang off guard.

"Eww! You actually _eat_ bugs? That's friggn' GR-OSS!" Sokka looked like he was about to throw up.

"What Mr. He-man, are you too wimpy to try my specialty? Fried scorpions are high in protein and best if you're out of food. But of course, all guys know that right?" She smiled at her clear sign of victory. "See, at times, I can be devious. It really makes things a lot easier for me." She smiled, turned on her heel, and walked out of the room.

"Oh, by the way," she added. "I know that you're the only one who's had the _fried_ rice, and just to let you know, those dark gold things aren't seeds, if you catch my drift. I've mentioned them before." And without another word, she left to the room in the far back. Touka followed her in a fit of rage, and to no surprise, shouting and arguing rose up not even a few seconds later.

"Wow, what an interesting first impression," Aang stated, Sokka spitting and cleaning his tongue.

'-'

_I hate this place_, Zuko thought, rocking himself back and forth on the chair with his foot, using the rail of the balcony as leverage. The orange sky was slowly being stained in violet as the sun began to sink on the other side of the mountain. The others had left to the restaurant across the street, leaving him all alone in the building, aside from the hopeless mess of a clerk down in the lobby. His uncle did invite him to eat, which at that point seemed better than just sitting in his pathetic excuse for a hotel room. He was about to leave, when something, or someone, caught his eye. _It's another _fight, he thought, looking in the direction of the glimmer of movement. On top of a market sat a girl about his age, knees drawn to her chest, staring at the sky. For some reason, she had fake blood-red hair that fell to her waist, six inches of the bottom jet black. From where he was she was nothing more than a red and black blob standing out on a brown and green surrounding, so out of place was an understatement. He continued to watch the girl for a few more minutes, her behavior very outlandish. She went from sitting to randomly doing push-up, only confusing Zuko even more. _What the hell is she doing?_ he thought. If she noticed he was there and was showing off, or if she did not, it would not matter to him anyways. Whoever she was she was ridiculous. No one was paying any attention to her, and if he learned anything from the fight that broke out a while earlier, it was that he did not need to pay attention either. He was about to leave again when someone speaking out broke the silence.

"Who's up there?" a faint voice called from the inside of the building. The girl shot her head up and reacted immediately. She quickly stood up, ran to the ledge of the roof, and jumped off. She landed like a cat on the floor, and ran off into the forest. The man who had called out soon appeared on the roof. He looked around to see nothing.

"Why do I always shout first?" the man asked himself. "Just gives them a chance to run away. Well, I'm an idiot." The old man went back into his building and closed the small door to the roof. Zuko looked into the forest to see the girl hiding behind a tree. She looked around and slouched down into the shrubbery.

_Who is that?_ he questioned in his head. He followed her closely, but the bushes and trees suddenly hid her. He suddenly forgot what he was intending to do and began scanning the forest for any signs of the mystery girl. In a town of people who shrugged off murder in plain sight why would anyone be worried about being caught on a roof? In the town gone bad, surely she must be the worst. He tried shaking it off, but the mysterious behavior only brought one thought to his mind: S_he could be trouble. _Forgetting where he originally was going to go, his curiosity got the best of him and he left for downstairs to see where the mysterious teen went.

He quickly descended the squeaky staircase and ran past the clerk who was dully reading a newspaper. "Be back before it gets dark, lest there be gang members looking for a kill," the man called after him in a voice that was uncaring. Zuko walked past a few suspicious looking characters whose eyes followed him.

"Hey, tool!" one of the manlier looking woman or effeminate looking men shouted at him. "Are ya looking fo' yo' balls? 'Cuz I th'o't ya torched dem off!" The group laughed hysterically at the pathetic joke the person made. "You ain't gonna find dem in dere! Ya'll is mad stupid."

Zuko stormed up to the laughing group and snarled, "What did you say to me?" The group suddenly became serious and looked at Zuko as if he just insulted them.

"Are ya deaf or just mad stupid?" the person who insulted him asked aggressively. "You bettah watch yourself up, ya hur?"

"You tell 'em, Lil' Choujue," one of the cronies cheered.

"You best know who you're talking to," Zuko growled. "Show some respect you peasant." The group laughed even harder, clearly faking terror.

"Oh I be so scared!" the person pretended to cry. "This flamin's gonna teach me ta respect."

"Bettah listen to 'im, Choujue!" one of the girls cackled. "Before 'e shanks ya wit 'is ponytail!"

"You listen here," the one they called Choujue said now with much seriousness and anger, "I own dis here port. So if ya wants ta start sumfin ya bettah gots da skills or else you'll find yourself dead." Choujue pushed Zuko backward with his, or her, chest. The two held a death stare for what seemed like forever, but Zuko was the first to break it, turning away from the group and heading back to the forest. The group broke into fits of laughter again, shouting snide comments at him as he disappeared into the forest. Even though every muscle and nerve in his body wanted to show those people who was really in charge, he declined. Those were the kind of people who could not be changed, even if they were humiliated. It was not long before he got lost, but he was still able to see the inn from where he was, the building standing out as a sad, grey tower. He walked further into the small forest, careful not to disturb anything, watching for anything that moved.

_Why am I here? I have better things to do than play hide and seek._ The sky was turning purpler and he suddenly realized he was hungry. He had enough of the stupid residents on the island and to meet more would just exacerbate his anger even more. He turned around and was about to leave when a voice stopped him.

"You know, it'd be really easy for me to kill you right about now." He wheeled around to see the girl he saw earlier hanging upside-down on a tree bough.

"What do you mean?" he spat. Her face was clearer now. The right side of her face was illuminated by the setting sun, amplifying a face scarred worse than his, mostly because her wounds were fresh, but she barely kept her eyes open, not enough for anyone to actually see them.

"I'm just saying. It'd be easy for me to kill you," the girl repeated. "You really need to have more vigilance."

"I _have_ vigilance," he snapped. "I have better things to do than talk about such a stupid topic." He whirled around and started to head back to the hotel or even the restaurant when a rock hit him in the back of the head. He turned around to see the girl, still perched, her long hair shining and swaying with the gentle breeze.

"What was that for!" he growled.

"You're not vigilant, and I just proved it," she simply replied. "Now, see a vigilant person would have ducked."

"This is stupid! Why did I come out here?" He turned back around and started to make his way back again when another rock hit him, this time, it was on fire.

"What the fu-"he turned again, but the girl had not moved. She was still hanging upside down from the branch.

"Well," she said, uncrossing her arms, one hand grasping the branch and flipping herself over, her eyes never leaving Zuko. "I'd figured a guy like you would know the meaning of vigilance. Apparently, you don't."

"I know damn well what vigilance means!" he hissed. "I don't need vocabulary lessons from someone childish enough to hide in a tree."

"If you do know what vigilance means, prove it."

"That's easy, it's-. " He paused for a moment, for he knew what it meant, but he did not know how to put it in words.

"Let me help you," she interrupted. "Vigilance is a noun. The definition is the condition of being watchful and alert, especially to danger. You, my fellow pyro, are not."

"What make you so sure you're this 'vigilant'?" he retorted.

"Sir, I _know_ that I'm heedful," she said firmly. "I have to be anyways."

"What makes you think I don't have to be vigilant?" he asked.

"I never said you don't. I'm just saying-"

"You assume I have nothing to worry about, or that I don't need to be constantly aware of my surroundings. You know what? Get the hell out of here. I have better things to do." He stormed off again, but his attempts failed.

"You know, you're really irascible. Has anyone told you that?" He stopped and turned to face her. The right half of her face was entirely covered by her hair and bangs, making her more monstrous looking than she already did. She just stood there, emotionless. "I'd say your refractory too, but that means the same thing, so it'd be redundant."

"You just love vocabulary, don't you," he said sarcastically.

"Well, your comment seemed a bit caustic, to answer your question." She slowly walked towards Zuko, one step at a time. "It helps to be erudite in vocabulary than dim." He tried to stare her down, but she stared back. He was trying hard not to laugh at what he saw as foolishness.

"You're funny. Now get the hell out of my face."

"Heinous now are we? Someone really needs to teach you how to control your derision."

"You're nothing but trouble," he simply said. "The last thing I need is some drifter lingering around here."

"Well, you came to the wrong place," she said clearly. "Places ungoverned aren't all that safe."

"So I've noticed," he mumbled. "I don't have time for this. I have better things to do that to listen to you. Why did I even come here?"

"Don't think I didn't see you up in that fancy castle of a hotel or whatever. You were doing nothing! What time are you talking about?" She looked smugly at him. She had a ridiculous face in Zuko's opinion. He wanted so badly to laugh in her face, especially because of her comment towards the 'castle of a hotel.'

"Castle?" he almost exclaimed. "You think that's a castle? You must be dumber than you look, and you looked dumb to begin with."

"I tend to get that," she sighed, plucking a leaf from the tree next to her and incinerating in between her fingers. "Mostly from locals, not people I've just met. I assume it's the island that makes you presume I'm an ignoramus. Sort of how I imagine you're a prick because of the uniform."

"Excuse me?" Zuko barked. "Who do you think you are to be judging me like that?"

She raised an eyebrow and smirked in a stressful manner. "I think my name is Sara," she replied doubtfully. "Who the hell are you?"

"I don't need to tell you," he sneered. "It's not like I'll ever see you again." He tuned and walked to the inn, not looking back.

"Oh I doubt it," she muttered. "I doubt it."

'-'

Bow down, bow down,  
before the power of the Fire lords,  
or be crushed, be crushed,  
by their fiery boots of doom!


	3. New to unfold

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional. Except when noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits, all celebrities voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Scratch and sniff to win your prize.

Author's note: I get to type this up during my student council time. Sweetness!

Chapter three: New to unfold

'-'

_After their not-so pleasant meeting with Tsuchi, the niece of the owner of the store, night soon falls, leaving the gang a lot more tired than they were before._

"Man, I am so glad that we're leaving in the morning!" Sokka groaned, slipping into the feather-filled bed. "That Tsuchi chick has some real issues!"

"Well," Katara glared. "What you said was really uncalled for."

"I'm just glad that we have a place to stay for the night!" Aang sighed, already comfortable in the bed. "Otherwise we'd have to sleep on the ground again. It's not very comfy. Unlike this bed!" He buried his face into the pillow.

"I like sleeping under the stars," Katara grinned. "It's so nice."

"Whatever," Sokka grumbled. "I just want to leave ASAP! Good night, and don't wake me up!" He tuned away from them, and in no longer a minute, he was sound asleep.

"What's his problem?" Aang questioned. "I know he's in a bad mood and all, but he's really snappy."

"He's just upset that a girl beat him in an argument," she sighed. She crawled into her own bed, lied on her side, and faced Aang's direction. "He always gets like this. He's really difficult like that."

"I just hope the morning goes by quick," Aang muttered, turning to face the ceiling. "But it was funny. She was able to keep him speechless!"

"You are right," she laughed. "I think he'll still be scrubbing the grub from his mouth tomorrow!" The two of them laughed at the thought of it. The fight's end still echoed in their head.

_"Eww! You actually eat bugs! That's GRR-OSS!" Sokka looked like he was about to throw up._

_"What Mr. He-man, are you too wimpy to try my specialty? Deep-fried scorpions are high in protein and best if you're out of food. But of course, all guys know that right?" She smiled at her clear sign of victory. "See, at times, I can be devious. It really makes things a lot easier for me." She smiled, turned on her heel, and walked out of the room._

_"Oh, by the way," she added. "I know that you're the only one who's had the_ fried_ rice, and just to let you know, those dark gold ones aren't seeds, if you catch my drift. I've mentioned them before." And without another word, she left._

Aang and Katara didn't know that Sokka was actually listening.

_Eh, she ain't so tough. I could beat her any day! She'll see. Tomorrow, she won't be so devious…_

'-'

Zuko was sitting on the roof now. It was away from everyone, all of the noise, anything that couldn't climb at the very least. The island was far from any eye, a no man's land. Many ships used to reside in this island as a pit stop. But since the war, it was mainly a port. There were so many fights here, mainly gangs from the different areas, leaving this a notorious place. But this was their only choice, and the house they were residing in was alright, in the middle of a small village of no more than three-hundred. As he stared out at the ocean that dovetailed with the violet border of the sky, he saw her again.

"Fuck, what does she want _now_?" He jumped up, and jumped onto every ledge, making his way down the building.

'-'

The girl was grasping onto the tree limbs, trying to break her previous record of chin-ups.

_Come on, five more. Forty-five… forty-six… forty-seven… forty-eight… forty-_nine-

"What the hell are you still doing here!" a voice growled from outside of the forest.

"DAMN!" she groaned. She let go of the limb, and faced the owner of the voice. "What now? I was just-"

"Get the hell off of my property before I have you killed!" he snarled.

"Well aren't we ecstatic this evening!" she said sarcastically. "This isn't even _your_ property! Do you have anything else to do than sit around and give death threats?"

"I could kill you with my bare hands," he simpered.

"I'd love to see you try," she dared him. He looked at her, eyes delving into hers. It would be so easy to kill her. She was just a helpless girl. One swift movement could send her to burn in hell like he thought she deserved.

"I shouldn't waist my time on a stupid girl like you. Get off of my property, and I won't break your neck, dice your body with my sword, burn the pieces, toss the remains into the forest, and let the maggots do the rest."

The girl was trying to keep herself from laughing. But it worked to no avail. She started heaving wails of a jaunty laughter that echoed in the forest. "Damn, that's funny! But really," she smiled, trying to steady herself. She inhaled and began to speak. "A man may fish with the worm that hath eaten of a person, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm."

"What the _hell_ did you just say?" he asked, giving her a quizzical look.

"Nothing but to show you how a person may go a process through the guts of a beggar. Or in this case, a bastard such as yourself."

"What did you say!" he yelled, taking a step forward. He was now a foot away from her.

"Why don't you just kill me now? I really am just extra weight on this planet. And you don't seem to mind giving death threats, that maybe you'd carry one out. What do you say?" He glared at her with the uttermost hatred.

"I have news for you: I don't kill people because they request it."

"So you're one of those who kill for the heck of it? I take it you'd love to have front row seats to see to people go at it and see who can live the longest while beating the shit out of each other? Maybe you're a big coward. Unless you can prove me wrong. I'll bet you couldn't even-."

Right when she said 'Unless you can prove me wrong,' he had enough. He had thrown a punch at her, just to disprove what she had said. But to his utmost amazement, she had caught his fist an inch before it could even cut the air around her chin.

"Maybe I was wrong about you, nanashi. You seem to take your word at times. But see, that took you a while." She tightened her grasp on his fist, digging her nails into his skin. "Never underestimate the reflex of a person, for surprises come in many form. Small people can pack powerful punches; unassuming characters can erupt with the slightest spark. Just remember, never to underestimate the power of your opponent."

"Don't worry, I don't." He pulled his fist from her grasp, the indents of her nails glistening red. "I can take care of myself. I'm not a child."

"Or so we all say," she interrupted.

"Why the hell are you still here? Don't you have a life to attend to?" Apparently she didn't. She glowered at him, face no longer having the pleasure it used to have. She was biting the inside of her mouth, staring at the ground.

"I don't have a life, like I really should be telling you. You don't even give a damn."

"The hell I don't. Get out of here. Or I really will kill you."

"Not if I do it first."

"Then I'd be easier on me. Get the hell out of here, and don't bother me again." She didn't move.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get the hell off of my-."

"Who died and gave you the position of the Fire Lord? It certainly wasn't him!" She finally struck a nerve.

"I am going to tell you one last time," he said slowly. "Get the **_fuck_** out of here, and you'll live to see tomorrow. And if I see you here again, I will hunt you down like a fox. Do you hear me loud and clear?"

She stared at him, but didn't say anything. "Fine. Like I wanted to stay anyways." She turned around, and started to walk out of the forest when she stopped. "I really don't see why you took to such offense to what I said. It's not like you're his son. I mean, I hear he lives on a boat like some kind of waif. You're one of those Fire navy officers, you should be wishing you were." She continued walking without looking back.

Once she was out of sight, Zuko struck the tree that stood next to him, causing it to burst into flames. "I hope she gets slaughtered. And if she doesn't, I'll do it myself." He turned to the building he was residing in for the night, and stormed off without another word.

'-'

Midnight dwindled around when an urgent rapping noise sounded from the front of the market entrance.

"Touka! Touka! We really need to speak to you!"

All had been woken in the small hut, curious as to who was knocking at the door. Touka hastily put on a coat to cover her from the harsh winter breeze. Tsuchi, rubbing her eyes, shoes already pulled on, followed her aunt. Aang, Katara, and Sokka tried to listen from their room, careful not to be spotted.

"What is it Commander Hong?" Touka yawned. "It is midnight!"

"The Fire Navy has been spotted about no more than a kilometer out. We were sent to warn the villagers to head for safety." Aang, Katara and Sokka exchanged worried looks.

"Can I help?" they heard Tsuchi's voice echo.

"No," the commander said firmly. "The last thing we need is for them to know you're here. You _really_ need to hide."

"But-," she protested.

"Nothing. You and your aunt must hide."

"He is right Tsuchi. We don't need to lose you or anyone else now."

"Fine. I'll go get the others." They quickly scrambled away form the door, the commander leaving.

Tsuchi kicked the door open lightly. "Since you already heard, I don't need to repeat what they said. Come on."

"We don't have that much time!" Touka rushed. "We need to leave now. We could probably make it into the mountains by dawn."

"We're not going," Katara said.

"Child, we have no time for these games!"

"She's right,' Aang supported. "We want to help get rid of these firebenders."

"If I can't go, what makes you think the Earth army'll let you?"

"Well," Sokka said, in his usual way as if he was going to show off. "We have fought off many firebenders before, so I don't think this'll be any different."

"We _don't_ have time for this!" Touka was screaming. She was already out the door, waiting for them outside. "Hurry up!"

"You want me to prove myself, you've just got it!" she glowered. "Touka-oba, I don't want to go."

"Excuse me, but your father and mother-."

"-Would have wanted me to fight them instead of running like a coward!" she said tuning to her. "I'm not going to run away from this!" Touka was about to argue in protest, but decided against it.

"Fair enough," she sighed. "Be careful, Tsuchi. Do _not_ get carried away." Touka turned and followed everyone else who was heading towards the mountain.

"Well what the hell are we waiting for? Let's get going." And with one swish, she was out the door.

'-'

The scene was worse than they thought it'd be. The Firebenders had already hit ground, leaving their mark of burned trees, sparks and embers. Most of the houses had already gone down in flames, others just barely starting. Bodies were sprinkled lightly across the red city, about three or five. Even so, the sight was devastating.

"Where are they?" Katara questioned. Her question was no sooner answered when a fire ball came whizzing from behind them.

"Survey says behind us!" Sokka shouted.

"Well no use standing here!" Tsuchi shouted. She placed herself into self defense stance, her right arm extended, her left arm drawn back. "Just aim and shoot!" She swiftly swung her left leg, sending rocks, ashes, and burning coal hurtling at the single firebender, knocking him out.

"You're an earthbender?" Aang asked excited.

"No time for questions!" Sokka yelled at him, busy with another Fire bender. "Grab a bender and start fighting!"

Not heeding his warning, the three of then started to fight the first bender they saw. The battle tolled on. Soldiers were killed, more homes were destroyed; the village was a massacre. But the cherry on top was yet to come.

Taking out a third person, Aang turned to see how the others were holding up. They seemed to be doing fine, but Katara spotted trouble.

"Aang, look out!" she screamed. Aang tuned to see a large branch that had been ignited about to fall on him. He screamed and was about to move out of its path when it suddenly stopped in midair. He looked up at the limb, just floating there.

"How did it-." He didn't need to ask any further. There, at least ten feet from him was Tsuchi, focusing on the tree limb that was dangling over him. The fire on the branch suddenly grew larger, and the wood turned to dust.

"But- she was- and it was- then it-but- what?" Aang was lost for words. But he couldn't ask her. She had already busied herself with another bender. He decided to ask her later.

'-'

The dawn had come, the firebenders gone, and the village was nothing but black. Everything was gone from last night. What was once a peaceful town was now dwindled down to a pile of ashes no deeper than an inch.

"Damn," Tsuchi sighed. "I couldn't stop them."

"Don't worry," Katara comforted her. They were waiting at the beachside, while Touka was busy dealing with the rebuilding of her store with a few carpenters. "You did your best."

"We all did," Aang added. "And at leastmost of the villagers didn't gethurt."

"But the Earth Army did, unfortunate for them," Sokka grumbled.

"Uh, Tsuchi," Aang asked nervously.

"Hmm?" she sounded.

"I have a question."

"Well, what is it?"

"About yesterday, with the tree branch…"

"_What_ about it?"

"Well, how did you, well, how did you get it to ignite?"

Her eyes widened.

"Are you feeling okay?" Sokka asked, giving her a quizzical look. She started laughing cynically.

"Fine? Heh, fine? Of course I'm fine! Why would I not be? It's not like anything-." She stopped herself. The three of them looked at her, questioning her nerves. She stared at the ground, and sighed histrionically.

"There's a funny story behind that," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Like 'haha' funny?" Sokka asked.

"No, not'haha' funy, you jackass," she mumbled. Sokka glared at her."You already know that I'm an earthbender, right?"

"Yeah," they answered slowly.

"Well, that's not all. I'm…I'm also a Fire bender."

'-'

That's enough for today. And now to answer my two reviewers:

**Hareiyu:** There is no way this is a one-shot. See? I have another chapter. And there is so much that'll go in the following chapters.

**Arekisu:** I am so glad you read my story! Your constant notes of the Fire Nation reminded me of this song.


	4. The new picture

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional. Except when noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits, all celebrities voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: Wow, I got so many reviews! I got two more from the same person:

**Shoy of the Fire Nation:** Yeah, the girl, she doesn't know. She's lived on this island for so long, and, well, just read on. I might explain some crap.

Chapter four: The new picture

'-'

"Hurry up damn it! I don't want to stay on this island any longer." The docks of Engoku were bustling with people, all trying to leave and arrive. The best part of Engoku was that it was a free piece of land. No one nation by law could own it.

"What the hell are you doing on my turf?" a male voice growled.

Then again, there were gangs that covered the island like dirt.

"Your turf! This was our parts! You get the hell out of here!" another voice snarled.

The entire dock turned to look at the group of males ranging from ages twelve to twenty-five. The group that instigated the fight was wearing black and red attire, while the second had grey and silver.

"Get out of here, or pay the price!" the leader of the red group sneered.

"I'd like to see you try!" At that point, both groups clashed, trying to hit as much as opposite flesh as they could. The crowd started to mutter, but went on with their lives. They had become blasé to the whole fighting nonsense.

"Come on," Zuko muttered to his uncle, Iroh. "I don't want to stay any longer with this shit going on." He was about to turn when a face caught his eye.

_It's that annoying bitch._ "Hurry up!" he growled at his uncle. They were about to leave when something caught their ear.

"What did you say to me, yanki?" the red guy asked. The street stopped again. Zuko turned to see the girl, resting her weight on her right leg, arms crossed over her chest. But there was something resting on her head, and it wasn't her hair.

It was a weird looking rat thing. It had bat wing-looking ears, glowing red eyes, jet black fur, and a red lightning bolt shaped stripe running from the tip of its nose to its back. It had sharp teeth hanging out from its mouth, and it looked like it was glaring at the guy. Not only did this girl have a rodent on her head, but she had a peculiar shaped sack slung over her shoulder.

"I never said anything vis-à-vis you. I was just passing, saying nothing." She raised an eyebrow.

"Did you?" he stepped closer. He was now face to face with her. The girl just stood there, holding her stare with the guy.

"Take any step closer, and I'll kick the crud out of you." She held her stare, not flinching. "You know I can."The rat hissed at the guy.

"Are you saying you're tougher than me?" he stared.

"Frankly, yes," she said clealy. Everyone around oooed at her comment.

"Bitch, you should know better than to mess with me." The two held a stare.

"I have two words for you," She hissed: "Try me."

"Fair." He threw a fist at her, but she caught the fist, taking one step back, striked his knee, punched his face, and one turning round house kick later, the guy was on the floor, and the others started to attack her.

"Let's go!" Zuko growled sternly at his uncle.

"No," he whined like a child. "I want to see what happens. And besides, what if she needs help?"

"What, are you going to save her ass?" he asked, slightly annoyed that he was being delayed at finding the Avatar for something as stupid as a common street fight.

"No, you will."

"I am not-." But his words were cut short when a man from the grey group came flying across, landing in the ocean. They turned to see numerous of each gang's members unconscious on the floor, less than one-eighth standing. All her moves were calculated, and skillfully scheduled. Her kicks were correctly angled; her punches targeted correctly; her flames perfectly reached their target. But what was more amazing was her ability to jump and/or flip over higher than her victim. She would skillfully stick her landing with such finesse. With this gang, there was only a blur of punches and kicks. The rat that had once sat on her head was now scurrying around, being careful not to get trampled. A few minutes passed, and both gangs lied unconscious on the floor; except for one man.

He was a very large, muscular man. His hair sat on his head like a black mop, covering his forehead and most of his dark blue eyes. He had a red vest on, and black knee-high pants with a red sash. Of course, since the gangsters of the island were very poor, he wore no shoes, leaving his feet covered in dirt, mud, and some other stuff Zuko really didn't want to know.

"You yanki's is goin' downs!" the man slurred.

"Try and hold yourself up!" she simpered. She attempted a turning back round house kick with her right foot, but the guy grabbed it before it could strike him. His grasp tightened, his hands the size of a shield, her foot becoming invisible. Zuko could see the pain in her eyes, but no emotion showed on her face, gritting her teeth instead.

"Now so powerfusl now, huh yanki?"

"Yeah right, hillbilly!" she smiled. She took her free foot, and with his and her balance, she twisted around, and struck the giant hard in the neck. He let go of her foot, the girl landing gingerly on the floor, wincing when her right foot touched the ground. The leviathan stumbled back, gasping for air. He span in his spot for a moment before landing with a crash on his back, violently shaking the floor.

The entire pier was silent, staring at the girl who had just taken on thirty-some men all on her own. The rat returned to her, crawling up her back, resting itself on her head. She slowly stood up, and started to make her way towards Zuko's direction, limping when her foot touched solid ground.

When she passed Zuko, he heard her uttering something. "Another average day in the life of Hia-."

"Well done," Iroh commented. Zuko shot a caustic look at him, but his uncle didn't notice.

"Uh, thanks, sir," the girl replied. She didn't smile, her face impassive. "It was nothing, really."

"Well, I'm sure that was something. I have never seen a female fight as well as you do. Well, maybe on, but that is besides the point."

"Isn't that being bias?" she said sternly, glaring.

"It's not like that," he smiled. "I just haven't seen anyone with your skill, is all."

"Thanks, seriously, it was nothing. In these parts, you have to know how to fight."

"Oh, it's story time! You should have told me this one ten years ago when I cared! Let's go!" Zuko said heinously.

"Well aren't we Mister Ray-of-Sunshine!" the girl glowered. The rat on her head hissed again. Iroh took a step back, Zuko just stood there, glaring at her.

"I don't care about what you have to say, I have better things to do."

"What, the Avatar can't wait? She might be of some use," Iroh whispered.

"Can I talk to you in _private_?" he grumbled. When they were out of the ear shot of the girl, Zuko turned and said, "Are you mad, uncle! She could ruin us! The last thing we need is some girl to screw everything over. She'll complain the entire way there, and she's an annoying brat! Why the heck are you even talking to her?"

"She's a good fighter," Iroh said simply. "Naive, maybe, but then again, so are you. Even you and I could learn a thing or two from her."

"What?" he said in shock. "I'm a _way_ better warrior than she is! Just look at her!" The two of them turned in her direction. She stood in the same spot they left her in, her weight resting on her left foot. The rat on her head was eating what looked like a cracker. The right side of her face was still covered. "She's an urchin!"

"Waif or not, she is still good, and I'm sure she's steadfast too." A smile crept on his face. "Let's invite her to join us."

"I'd rather have my insides become spider-hawk food," he said simply.

"Well, let's take that chance."

"-Bu-y-you don't even know her name! What if she's some kind of psycho or something?"

"She looks sane to me," Iroh said, cocking his head at an angle. "What do you have against her?"

_"Who died and gave you the position of the Fire Lord? It certainly wasn't him!" She finally struck a nerve._

_"I am going to tell you one last time," he said slowly. "Get the **fuck** out of here, and you'll live to see tomorrow. And if I see you here again, I will hunt you down like a fox. Do you hear me loud and clear?"_

_She stared at him, but didn't say anything. "Fine. Like I wanted to stay anyways." She turned around, and started to walk out of the forest when she stopped. "I really don't see why you took to such offense to what I said. It's not like you're his son. I mean, I hear he lives on a boat like some kind of waif. You're one of those Fire navy officers." She continued walking without looking back._

"I just don't like her. She seems annoying." He still hadn't told his uncle that he had previously met her, and he figured he didn't need to know.

"Well, I'm going to ask her anyways. She seems fine to me." He headed towards the girl and started to converse with her. Zuko punched invisible air, flames emitting from his clenched fists.

_I swear, if she ticks me of even the _slightest_, I'll personally push her off of the boat so the__zasshu sharks__ can feast._ And with that, he stormed onto the ship.

'-'

"So you're Fire nation? No wonder I don't trust you!" Sokka shouted.

"Sokka, be quiet!" Katara hissed.

"So you're a firebender? But, how is that possible?" Aang questioned.

"It's a really long, confusing, and quite sucky story," Tsuchi sighed.

"Don't worry," Aang assured her. "We have time."

"Alright. If you guys really want to know.

"Well, it started I think about twenty years ago. The Fire Nation invaded Kuusai Isles, no sooner was it that they invaded my town, Chikyuu. My father, Enjou, was apart of the Fire Navy. He was shipped out here seventeen years ago to this very village. He was sent to keep anyone that might be apart of the resistance into order. It was kind of a sieze andtame was in charge of giving people numbers, registration, census, other crap that confuses he was too nice and failed when he met my mother, Saki, who was about sixteen, and an Earth bender at that sort. The two fell in love, but they of course, were to keep it secret. The only one who knew was my aunt. Se totally disagreed with the whole thing, but my mom wouldn't hear it. She was adamant that when the war was ove they'd be together forever

"But their fantasy came to a crashing halt when one of the naval officers discovered their hidden relationship. Of course, by then, they had already had two kids: me, and my sister. So is said by my aunt. They ordered my father to make a choice:be killed or kill my mother. They never said that they would _not_ hurt my mother if he chose himself. I mean, apparantly he asked them and they wouldn't say. Seeing that if he chose to have himself killed, ruthless as they are, they could do anything to her and he couldn't protect her. But then he would have to kill the woman he loved so much. He was outnumbered by thirty. He knew that if he fought back, he could hurt innocent people, so taking complete blame, he killed my mother."

"Your dad killed your mother!" the three said in unison.

"Okay,but only because he had no choice around it! It was technically her desicion. Anyways, when he was shipped back, he took my sister, because she looked more like a Fire bender than I did. He left me in the care of my aunt. My aunt wasn't an earthbender, my grandmother forbid me to learn it, and my granfather refused to teach me and he doesn't really like me much, so my friends from the Earth army trained me. I had to learn firebending on my own, which really sucked. The village didn't care. The Fire Navy had left the islandten years after that had happened. ISee, the reason Ididn't tell you was because I wasn't sure how you'd take it."

"Well," Aang said, trying to change the subject into a different direction. "I think that's awesome. Confusing, but awsome. Maybe you could show me a few moves, you know, some firebending, earthbending, get me trained or something."

"Why do you-wait, you're-the-."

"The Avatar? Yup, that's me!" He put on a goofy grin. She gaped at him.

"You can't be serious," she said dumbfounded.

"I'm as serious as- well, serious!" He smiled at her.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Prove it."

"Alright!" He did some simple airbending, which madeTsuhci's eyes widened.

"You really are the Avatar," she whispered.

"Exactly," he smiled.

"Okay, if you had said that earlier, then the Army wouldn't have tried and killed you earlier. Sure it was obvious, but still."

"Youcould you come with us. We could all really use you," Katara asked.

"I don't," Sokka muttered.

"Tsuchi!" Touka called. The four of them turned to the woman who was coming over to them. "I was able to get a contract to build the house. We have enough-."

"Touka-oba, I need to go with them," Tsuchi stated, standing up and faced her aunt.

"What?" Touka questioned, looking at her niece in a puzzled manner.

"Aang needs me. He needs my help. If I don't go with them, the word will be served to the Fire Nation on a silver platter. We can't have that happened, especially after what happened to mother and father."

"Tsuchi, what are you talking about?" she asked, confused at the randomness of her statement.

"Aang here's the Avatar. He needs a teacher and they apparantly want me. Don't know why... but they've asked."

Touka looked into her niece's eyes. They had no glint of a lie, or of falter. She knew that she couldn't say no to her. She was right. "Alright," she whispered, placing her hands on either one of her niece's shoulders. "You be careful. I want you to watch yourself. Don't get yourself hurt. This would be the last thing your parents want me to do. I know that somewhere in the heavens that Saki is frowning down on me for letting you go, but I know in her heart that this is the right thing to do. I wish you luck, and may the Creator keep his hand over you. Remember all I have taught you, and what the village has taught you. Be careful and remember: Constant vigilance."

"I will, Touka-oba." The two embraced in a long, tight hug. She turned to Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Appa and Momo. "Good bye Touka-oba," she smiled.

"Good bye, enzeru," she said back.

Tsuchi turned to her friends. "All right, let's go."

'-'

I should put a dictionary here. I think I will:

Yanki- (n) (1) Yankee(2) delinquent girl;(P)

Vis-à-vis- regarding: in relation to

Zasshu-hybrid

Enzeru- angel

That's all. Until nest time, Signing Off!

PS: I usually put this at the beginning of the first chapter, but I didn't see the "Water bending Scroll" when I put this story up. "So I will put it up now:

In my analysis, I see that Aang can easily bend water (to anyone who hate science, don't read this). Well, if anyone noticed, the world is made up of elements. I'm not talking about the ones that the show is talking about. The world is made up of elements like boron, krypton, helium, mercury, uranium, argon, and a whole lot more that I won't name due to time differences. Well, if anyone noticed, the air is made up of the gas elements, and there are other objects are made of gases. Case in point: water. Water is made up of two _hydrogen _atoms and one _oxygen_ atom. Oxygen is what makes up a lot of the gas in the air along with hydrogen. Is it possible that Aang is able to connect to the atoms of the gases? And I think he might be able to bend fire and earth easily. Granite is made up of several kinds of elements. One happens to be _carbon_. And what other is made form carbon? None other than fire.

And another thing. There's something about the fire nation metal that Earth benders can't bend it. I mean, if earth is made up of different elements and you can find the same elements in metal that are in earth in it, then why can't they bend metal if it is apart of the Japanese elements? If anyone has seen, when you see elements, it is usually earth, water, fire, wind, _and_ metal. So can't they combine earth with metal since they have the same atomic structure? Just an opinion.


	5. Battle of wits

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional. Except when noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits, all celebrities voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: Do you believe in the curse of Friday the Thirteenth? I don't believe that it's a day of bad luck, but I had the **STRANGEST** day yesterday!

First, the piano for the church was still in the Saint George Lucas Center in the gym(it's a school _and_ a parish office!), so we used the organ for mass. Then we were thirty minutes late for our student council meeting. I turned in my story that sprouted another foot or so (It's a size 8 font (the smallest) and it poured to 9 pages! I will post it up. It's a one-shot fic that explains how the mysterious new girl got the way she is now. Don't ask me when I'll give you her **real** name. Frankly, I don't know myself. Most likely next chapter.) Then, one of the teachers the kindergarten teacher, Ms. Santana got purposed to in the MOST adorable way! (I forget his name. I've met him before. I'm friend with Santana's brother. He's cool. If anyone wants to know how it happened, ask me before the next chapter.) I'm not done. I said the day was **strange**.

NEHO, I was going to go to the movies with my friends (we'll call them Steve and Mary), but Steve's grandma was late, so we were late for picking up Steve's sister. So when we were going to pick up his sister, a friend (Zade) calls Steve asking him to drive him home because he got a lot of X's on his parental weekly bulletin (it basically tells your parents of your progress every week (e.g.: Say you forgot to turn in your homework for math one day, you get a red x on the bulletin.) and his dad was POed at him he kicked him out of the car! So we were an hour late to picking up his sis. I felt so **_freakin_**' GUILTY (not saying why.), so we had to catch a later show and the only change of clothes I had was my karate gi, 'cause I thought I'd be back in time for karate. Before the movie, we ate dinner. Mary and Steve had chicken from some place call "Kenny Roger's Chicken Grill" or some-at and got food poisoning. Then once the movie was over, Steve's grandma's car wouldn't start! We were all home by nine. And that was my day yesterday.

Well, now that that's over with, I have something to fix: in the last chapter, I made a statement on earth and metal, and my friend (PN: linkfreak) said the following: "actually, I don't think they could combine earth AND metal because, although they DO have the same atomic structures in them, they do not have the same properties; there for, they cannot combine." She makes a good point. Well, done with the ranting, on with the fic! There, Shoy, I updated.

Chapter five: Battle of wits

'-'

(Since I ended with Aang and da gang (heh) I'll begin with Zuko.)

They had been water bound for at least an hour or so. The island was out of their sight, and so was that girl he hated so much.

She had been reluctant to go with them, but knowing that she would be leaving the island made her all too willing to leave.

_I wonder why,_ he thought. He was leaning against the bow of the boat; the smell of salt water filled the air. The water looked false and more like shards of glass as it hit the sides of the ship. The dauphin carp swam at the sides, the canoe sized brown mammals following them. He just watched them, laughing as one hit the side of the vessel.

"**_SQUEAK_**!" some loud cacophony came from in back of him. He swiftly turned around, to see a fat rat run right past him.

"What the hell is that thing!" he growled. "Get it off the boat!"

"The hell you won't!" the girl's voice echoed over the roar of the waves. He turned to see her walking towards the overgrown rodent. With a closer look, it was the same one she had when she instigated the fight with the street gang. It ran up to her, and crawled up the left side of her back. If he didn't know any better, it looked as if she winced when it climbed up her back. The rat just chirped, continuing to click his teeth.

"What the hell is that thing!" Zuko asked, voice not exactly nice, but still questioning.

"_He_ is a fire rat! His name's Hyroki. And something petrified him back there. Sorry Mr. Chief."

"Don't call me that!" he snarled.

"Well, what do you want me to call you, Sir Nanashi? You never did give me a name." He glared at her, she glared back, the rat just looked at the both of them.

"Sir's fine," he mumbled.

"Fair for me, sir," she said sarcastically. He just glared at her. "So, what do you do on this ship? Just watch the wave?"

"Don't you have better things to do than annoy me?" She thought for a moment, her eyes having a sudden glow.

"In fact, I _do_. Even though exasperating a petulant jerk as yourself is just as fun, I in fact, have better things to do."

"I'm not a petulant jerk, bitch!" he growled.

"Do you even _know_ what petulant means?" she asked, arms crossed, weight on her left foot, her only eye showing staring at him with a questioning look.

"Yes," he mumbled incoherently.

"Of course you do. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to do 'better things.'" She turned on her heal, and headed for a different part of the ship. He balled his hands into fists, and rammed his hand into the side of the boat, leaving a charred crater.

"Prince Zuko, you need to control your anger. Or how she puts it, your derision," Iroh's voice said from behind him.

"She's annoying me!" he snarled, not looking at him. "Why the hell did you want her to come?"

"You're not used to her is all," he smiled. "Soon enough, you'll like her."

"'Soon enough' won't _come_ soon enough!" he said, leaning on the ship.

"It will. Why don't you just talk to her? It'll make things easier." Zuko didn't say anything. Iroh sighed. "Look, you don't have to like her, just don't argue with her. Please?" Zuko still didn't say anything. "She's going to be here for a while. Might as well make peace with her now." The old man turned and walked away, leaving the upset teen.

The thought of _him _apologizing didn't appeal to him. She was the one who started everything. He gripped onto the boat railings, the metal heating up under his fingers. But his uncle was right. She was going to be here for a while. At least long enough before he could get a chance to toss her off the side of the ship. But before he could get a chance to do that, he should at _least_ give her a chance. He shuttered at the idea of having to apologize to the girl.

On the other side of the boat, the girl stood looking out at the red sky, a sudden chill running down her spine. Hyroki looked at her, questioning her spontaneous chill.

"I don't know why," she said, "but I got a sudden chill deep within my soul."

'-'

The breeze up in the sky was so nice, even thought it was still winter. While Sokka was directing Appa, Katara was watching Tsuchi teach Aang the basics of earthbending.

"You seem to understand it," she said, while Aang was playing with the rocks she had summoned up, not exactly bending, just playing. "But don't assume that because you understand it, doesn't mean that you can actually do it. There are so many basics to cover and even more difficult moves that I need to teach you that we can't do from up here."

"What are they?" Aang asked anxiously. "Can I at least know?"

"Yeah," she said. "Well, I have learned dirt tornadoes. I'm sure that'll be easy for you. Then my friends taught me how to make an asteroid. It's not exactly how it sounds!" she added at their traumatized faces. "It's just levitating a rock and catching it on fire. That's easy for me because I'm a firebender. That's the only reason they taught me that move. I'm the only one that I know of that can do that move (o-O). Then there's the Chikyuu whip only native to my town."

"What's the Chikyuu whip?" Katara asked.

"Well, it's very difficult to learn. I had to learn that from the Chief Commander. Even the fastest learners took at least several months to figure it out."

"Sounds fun!" Aang said with happiness.

"It is once you know how to do it. It took me at least two months. When we get to land, I'll show you."

"What the purpose of it?" Katara questioned.

"Eh?"

"Well, how and what exactly are you supposed to do?"

"Well, your goal is to make a whip over at least three yards long out of compressed rocks, but the whip has to be flexible."

"Now that really sounds like fun! I can't wait to learn it!" Aang shouted with excitement.

"But not before you learn everything else," she smiled.

"Let the kid learn the stupid trick," Sokka interrupted. "It's not like he has anything else to do."

"Yeah, Sokka the strange," Tsuchi glowered. "It's not like he has to save the world from mass destruction or anything."

"I'm just saying!"

"Look!" Aang intervened, trying to break up the fight. "There's some land. Why don't we stop there?"

"Fine by me," Tsuchi grumbled. Sokka directed Appa downwards to the island, no sooner, they were on land. They had been flying for more than eight hours, the sun setting very quickly, meaning that they had to find camp somewhere. Little did they know that they would soon be on a collision course of destruction.

Once they touched land, Aang was the first to hop of Appa, ready to learn any kind of earthbending there was possible.

"Come on!" he called out at Tsuchi. "Teach me the Chikyuu whip!"

"I won't teach you today," she said. "But I'll show it to you, so you get the basic idea."

Aang groaned, but was still happy to be able to see such a rare trick.

She stabilized herself, meditating quickly. Slowly, rocks started to rise off of the ground. Tsuchi opened her eyes; put her right foot back, knee bent. Her left arm was extended in front of her, right arm bent, hand balled into a fist.

"Hold on," she said suddenly, all of the rocks she had summoned falling to the ground.

"What's the matter?" Katara asked.

"Too scared to play in the dirt?" Sokka muttered under his breath, but no one heard for the best of it.

"I need total focus and sight for this." Her hair was still covering left eye. "I just need to pull it back really quick, but..."

"But what?" Aang questioned. "Is there, like, no eye in the socket?"

"Well, no…"

"Then I don't see the problem! Go ahead."

"Fine," she mumbled. "Just promise you won't stare."

"We won't," Katara assuaged her. Katara's words didn't really assure her, but she reluctantly nodded. She turned around, pulling her hair back into a high ponytail. "Alright then," she said. She took a deep breath and turned around. Aang and Katara gasped. Sokka looked up to se what they were shocked about. It truly was peculiar.

For behind the almost black emerald hair was a gold eye.

"Huh..." Katara whispered.

"What the…" Sokka mumbled

"Cool!" Aang smiled. "I wish my eyes were two different colors!"

"Why?" Katara inquired.

"'Cause it looks so cool! That'd be fun!"

"Thanks… I think," Tsuchi replied, kind of surprised by his reaction. "That was my father's eye color. I guess God couldn't make up his mind whether to make my eyes gold or green, so He gave me both. I didn't just get both elements."

"Well," Aang said kind of anxious. "Weren't you showing me how to do the whip-thing?"

"Oh, right…" She repeated the steps she had previously completed, getting one step closer, the rocks now forming a thin whip. They merged, forming the shape she desired. She spun around, and with a flick of her wrist, whipped some fruit out of a tree.

"That is **_so_** cool" Aang exclaimed. "I can't wait to learn that!"

But before any of them could say anything, Aang was already attempting to perform the stunt. It seemed as if he had it, but before the whip could come into shape, it turned into a breeze.

"I told you Aang," Tsuchi said to him, Sokka trying to keep himself from laughing. "You can't get it all in one day, even if you are the Avatar. Just learn the basics, and I'll teach the whip to you. Want to try fire? That has a whip too." Aang smiled at the idea.

'-'

Zuko looked around all of the boat, not finding sight of the girl. "Dammit!" he growled. "Where the hell is she!"

"I take it you're looking for me," a voice from behind startled him. He swung an arm, as if to hit someone, turning around to see the girl standing out of his reach.

"What the hell was that for?" he snarled. The rat was still perched on her shoulder. It was emmiting some kind of noise.

"Is that thing _growling_ at me?" he asked.

"Nice to see you too," she muttered. "Say it more fastidiously." He glared at her, but didn't say anything.

"So," she interrupted the awkward silence. "Why were you searching for me?"

"Nothing," he muttered. "Forget it."

"Why don't you talk!" she snarled. "What the hell did I do to you?" The torches running down the corridors of the vessel started to grow dangerously large. He stepped back, fairly schoked at her sudden outburst. Apparantly the rat felt the same jumped off of her shoulder, running down the corridor, out of harm's way. Zuko, for some reason, wished he could do the same. "What the hell is you're problem? Dammit, is your head screwed on right? Perhaps someone should kick some freakn' sense into you! Ya damn Fire Navy think that you're all predominant and overbearing!"

"What the hell are you implying?"

"What the hell am I implying? What make you think that I'm implying something?"

"It sure seems like it!" Their yelling and bickering echoed in the now dangerously lit halls.

"Then what are _you_ implying? That you think that you're more powerful than I am?"

"Bitch, I could kick your ass any day!"

"Fine, you obstinate jack ass! Wanna see if you're right!"

"Sure! Front deck, tonight! We'll settle out this score!"

"Deal!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!" Both went their separate ways, still in fits of fury, the blazes from the torches now over ten feet, their minds still occupied by the argument.

_That stupid bitch!_

**That vulgar jerk!**

_I'll show her!_

**He won't get away with this.**

_Once I'm done with her-._

**That jerk will be wishing**

**_(S)he was neverborn!_**

'-'

Well, just to anyone who doesn't know yet, that was one of those confusing moments when both people are thinking at the same time, then last part, they're both thinking that. Well, until next time, Signing Off!


	6. Once a loser, always a loser

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: Man, is CG (Colorguard) ever so hard! Well, not entirely. I understand everything _but_ tossing the stupid flag. Twirling it, and doing all of those fancy move are easy, but once that flag is in the air, I can't seem to get enough "oomph" into my toss. I'm terrible at the tossing, but it's still fun. I'm keeping at it. To Shoy (the ONLY one reviewing) glad you fixed your story. Things didn't make sense! And now they do. One more thing: SLEEP! I got your review at like six-forty! And even if you live in the east coast or something, that's still pretty early. I sleep in until ten on Sundays. Of course, that's because I usually go to church at eleven, but still! But thanks for reviewing anyways! And to anyone who will be kind enough to answer, should the girl have seen Zuko in the past before. I don't need to explain myself. I'm sure all of you know who she really is (if not, then that's just sad.) Well, it's not like she actually talk to him in the past, just see him. To anyone who could be so kind as to answer, that'd be nice. Because then I'd have to make the decision. And let me tell you, I can't make my own decisions most of the time, so HELP ME PLEASE! And to encourage people to review, I will not give out muffins, cookies, or plushies, but… CHOCOLATE COVERED RAISINS! Yeah, my friend linkfreak and I celebrated Chocolate Covered Raisin Day on Saturday (May 14th). We declared it "nationally," so now it's a "holiday." And to those who don't like raisins, then I'll be giving out free posters to any show of your choice. NEHO, on with the fic!

Chapter six: Once a loser, always a loser

'-'

The sun was now in oblivion, the planet bathed in darkness; except for the constant sparks of flames that was being given off by Aang and Tsuchi. Aang had been practicing for a little more thanfive continuoushours and he was already as good as any child. It was truly a fantastic sight to see the hypnotic light show.

"Isn't this nice, Sokka?" Katara asked her brother, her mind being engrossed in the sparks. Aang and Tsuchi had been practicing all day, so Aang now understood the concept.

"Yeah," Sokka muttered, "that is, if you like this kind of stuff."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm just saying I don't really trust her."

"You don't really trust anyone."

"Yeah, well you don't really not trust anyone."

"That didn't make any sense."

"Neither do you. Look, all I'm saying is that I think we might be heading for something that we could have avoided (o-O). I said the same thing about Jet."

"You said the same things about Aang, too, remember?"

"Yeah, well, we were still heading for something we could have avoided anyways."

"Can't you just trust someone for a change?"

"I'm supposed to be watching you. It's my job to not trust people."

"Well," Tsuchi sighed, yawning. "Judging by the position of the moon, it's going to be midnight in a few hours. Do we have anything to eat? I can cook."

Katara opened up the knapsack she had and went rummaging in it (see, if this was the modern world and it was me, the bag would be full to the brim with Ramen...). She took out some of the items that Tsuchi's aunt had left with them. Most of it was rice, but along with it were some native nuts (o-o) noodles, and a few other nonperishable foods. "Is there anything else," Sokka queried, eyeing the food with not exact interest.

"I've grown up with this stuff," Tsuchi glowered. "I can make anything with just the food here."

"Prove it," he sneered.

"Only if one of these two would _kindly_ get me a fish."

Katara and Aang sprang at the opportunity to get the fish. It wasn't long before Tsuchi had an entire buffet line of meals. The fish was grilled to perfection, the rice was steaming and looked fluffy, surprisingly enough, she had fried the nuts with the fish, making both of them taste delicious. The noodles were almost done, but they still were eating the food she had cooked up.

Sokka eyed it yearningly, but kept his distance.

"Sokka just put your differences behind and eat!" Katara told him. He just stared at her, eyelids almost touching.

"I have morals!" he said candidly. "I can't take food from- from _her_!"

"Sokka," Aang signed. "Don't you think-." His words were cut short when a whip swiftly struck the side close to where Sokka was sitting. It came from Tsuchi; she was now on her feet, front arm extended.

"What the hell is your problem?" she growled. "You seem to bark, but you won't bite."

"What, you want a fight?" he instigated.

"If that's the only way you'll stop ragging on me!"

"I don't hit girls," he stated, crossing his arms. "That is unless-." She had sent a rock to his head.

"What if I instigate it?" They held a stare, she raised an eyebrow.

"That's fi-." His words were cut short by a flying, burning rock. "Hey!" he squeaked, "I wasn't ready!"

"Think fast!" she smiled. Soon, the two of them were battling it out, but Sokka was losing terribly.

"This is stupid," Katara sighed. "This fight won't get anywhere."

"But it's still entertaining to see Sokka get his butt kicked!" Aang laughed. And it was. In a few minutes, Tsuchi had him gagged and bound.

"Who's tougher now?" Tsuchi sneered.

'-'

"You did WHAT?" his uncle asked, shocked at what he had told him.

"I had to!" Zuko yelled at him. Iroh shook his head at his nephew. He was getting himself into a hole he couldn't get out of. He watched as Zuko was practicing all of his moves, trying to hit anything that moved. "She was asking for it! If anyone should be getting blamed, it should be that damn wench!"

"I change my mind," Iroh exhaled, "Of all the foolish things you've done in your sixteen years, _this_ is the one of most foolish! What did she do to you that made you do this?"

"It's complicated," he muttered, "but I won't let that brat get away with this."

"Where is she, anyways?" Iroh queried, trying to change the subject slowly.

"The hell if I know," he said. He continued practicing, trying to make his kicks, punches, and flames more powerful.

"You know," Iroh said slowly, "you may think you have the element of fire, but she had another: the element of _surprise_."

"What do you mean by this?" Zuko asked, suspicious of his uncle's words.

"I'm just saying," he said. "Just promise me one thing."

"What am I promising?" he asked.

"If you find out something, don't get too mad. The last thing we need is for you to kill her."

"If she doesn't irk me first," he growled, "I'll make sure I can hold myself back." Iroh shook his head. He knew that he was being sarcastic, but then again, he wasn't sure how he'd react. Probably negatively like he always did. He left his nephew to practice.

'-'

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight." The girl was performing a series of peculiar stretches. It looked more like dancing. But it was a lot wiser than Zuko's procedure. Her kicks were higher than her head, good for her considering that Zuko was taller than her by at least six inches. She practiced punching, striking the wall of the vessel hard that the metal rung throughout the ship. Hyroki sat on her bed, watching her exercise. The overgrown rat yawned and rolled onto his back, letting out a histrionic sigh.

"What are you doing?" Iroh asked spontaneously. She didn't flinch; she focused on her target on the wall or in the air.

"I'm just practicing," she said curtly. "If I'm going to trounce that nephew of yours, I'm going to do this so we have an even bout."

"Even," he said seriously, "if he finds out." She abruptly stopped and turned to him.

"You-well- who said anything about him finding out?" she stuttered nervously. "As far as I'm concerned, what he doesn't know won't hurt him." She turned back to the wall, sat down and started to meditate.

"So, you don't care?" he questioned.

"Who said anything about him finding out?" she said, her voice tight. He shook his head, surprised at both of their blindness. "Look," she said finally, "if he finds out, he finds out. I'm not a child anymore, and even then, I could preserve myself. If he even deliberates endeavoring to kill me, I'll make sure that he'll rue the day he tried to mess with me. I've taken down people by the dozen, I've," she took a shallow breath, trying to keep herself steady, "I know how to take down his kind. Trust me. That sir doesn't concern me."

He looked at her. "Why don't you call him by his name?"

"Are you kidding me? He won't tell me his name if I was on my deathbed. And besides, 'sir's' a label of reverence. And even though I abhor his insides right now, I'll still show him respect." She silenced herself, and didn't say another word. The corner of his mouth curled into a smile. Even though she had Zuko's temper, she was still more respectable to her enemies than he was. He turned out, leaving the teen by herself.

'-'(Alright, since Aang and da gang is made up of dull people, I'm going to continue with the fight. It's a lot more interesting than finding out if Sokka eats or not. But then I save myself from trying to make up something for them to do. And it gets me closer to the next chapter where she tells him. If you don't know by now, then please stop reading this and call your local mental ward (JK))

Zuko paced back and forth impatiently, waiting for the girl. It was past the regular scheduled time, and he wasn't a tolerant of tardiness. "Damn it to hell, where is she?"

"What? Did you think I'd flake?" a voice echoed from behind him. He twisted around to see her leaning against the center of the ship. Her black and red hair was pulled back in a high bun, yet she still managed to conceal right eye. She didn't have her jacket on, which was crazy because it was cold enough to leave glaciers in the water and all she had was that dark red tank top and her regular long black pants with the thin shoes. But with a closer observation, something red was imprinted, coming from her left shoulder. More liked burned…

She stood up and walked over to him. "What are you waiting for?" she questioned him. They were about ten feet apart, and even then, the friction between themwarming the harsh winter air.

"I'm not waiting for anyone," he said, "just some ugly creature." She laughed sarcastically.

"You own your own ship, people follow your every whim, and yet, you have ripostes the level of a four year-old. Very shameful."

"Damn it, I didn't come here to get lectured or educated!"

"Fine. Shall we start?"

"Alright." The two stayed in their spot, arms at their sides. She bowed to him and he looked at her confused. "What the hell is that?"

"If you knew any better, it's genteel to bow to your adversary before battle." He glared at her, but reluctantly gave her a brusque bow that was more like a nod. The two moved in the proper stance, right leg in back of the left, arms brought up into fists.

"Who counts down?"

"We both will," he said kindly/rude. "One…"

"Two…"

"THREE!" The two started to attack each other, flames shooting into different directions. It was a fair battle; however, the girl was faster than he was.

She weaved her way through his attacks; he was trying everything in his power to hit her. He was able to hit her only so many times. She was more like a ribbon, or like a string on a needle. The two were no more than a furry of movements.

She jumped over him, almost landing head first, but she stuck out her hand, completing a cartwheel. She landed gracefully, shooting flames from her hands. He merely shook them off.

"Damn, you're good," the girl panted a few minutes into the battle.

"I'd say the same to you," he replied quickly, "but I've fought better." She fiercely growled.

"Fine! I guess I should stop going easy!" Before he could say anything, she gave him a weak knee by kicking him behind his right leg. She was on his side, facing the same direction he was. So when he went down, she flipped around and rolled on her back across his own, leading her to the other side of him where she wrapped her leg around his, causing him to fall on his back with a loud clatter. "Not so fun now, is it?"

"That's what you think!" he snarled. He remembered the Angi Kai he had challenged Zhao to. With one swift movement, he span swiftly to his feet. She had jumped to avoid his kick, but he had a different plan for her. He only landed on one foot. The other one hit her left side. She cringed and fell on her back with a loud crash. She laid inert on the floor, her face twisted in pain. "Ain't so tough now bi-." The hair that veiled her right eye had slipped. She slowly opened her eyes, revealing what she had been hiding.

"What the hell?" he growled. She went to rub her forehead to discover why he made such an outburst.

"Fucking hell…" she muttered. "Shit, not like this. DAMN IT!" She jumped to her feet and ran to the opposite side of the ship rating out a stream of curse words, both her brilliant gold eye and glittering bottle-green eye reflecting in the moonlight.

'-'

One, two, three, four, well-there-you-have—it-folks. I-hope-you-all-five, six, seven, eight, enjoyed it. Sorry, I'm practicing the routine they gave me for colorguard. I'm on the team (happy dance). Well, now you know what's going on. Until next time, Signing Off.


	7. To gamble, or not to gamble?

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: Yeah, it's 1:17 a. m now. I'm friggn' bored. I'm getting a new fan in my room and now it's a mess, so I have to sleep in the living room. But one problem: certain people (cscicsctcecr'csc cbcocycfcrcicecncd! Hidden message) WON'T LEAVE! They're still here! Go home Adrian! You have another life! Jeeze! NEHO, yeah. No way am I going to sleep with, ugh! Never mind. It sickens me to even type it considering that's they're on the couch right now! Unfortunately for me, the CD player won't go any higher. Don't pervert these words, you sick cretins! Well might as well start typing. I'm going to go ahead and continue from where I left off. It'll make things easier on me. On with the fic!

Chapter seven: To gamble, or not to gamble?

'-'

"Damn it!" Zuko growled loudly. "Where is she?" He didn't know why, but for some reason, he needed to look for her. _I really should kill her._ But why did it feel wrong to think it? He wanted to kill her. That was the only thing that filled his mind for the past two days. Yet it still felt strange. He shook his head vigorously. "To hell with that." He continued scanning the boat for the girl. It was about midnight when a tune caught his ear (**_note:_ **_now for anyone who's a Linkin Park, you might like this. If anyone's heard 'In the Chamber,' the string quartet that they came out with, then you'll know what I'm talking about. What you're now listening to is that version of 'Pushing Me Away.')_ He found her back where he had started. She was sitting on the railing of the ship, legs hanging out over the ocean, her jacket back on, and some kind of instrument resting on her shoulder. It was a violin, and her fingers and the bow danced across it swiftly. The music echoed against the ocean, glaciers and the boat. Once she was done, she sighed.

"What the hell is that?" he said suddenly. He was hoping to catch her off guard, but he was unsuccessful. She just sat there, staring out into the ocean.

"Like you really care," she muttered. (spn (spontaneous note:) 2:37 a. ! He's gone!) "No one does. No one cares about the stupid waif, Hiashi."

"Wait," he stopped her. The name was on the tip of his tongue. It sounded so familiar he could reach out and touch it, yet he still couldn't grasp it.

"Damn it, everyone knows!" she snarled. "You're freaking thick."

"I'm not stupid!" he growled.

"Wow, I'm impressed that you knew the right definition," she said sarcastically. "Why aren't you pushing me off the side so I can plunge to my icy death?" He bit the inside of his mouth, but didn't say anything. He didn't even know why. It was so tempting. She was right there. One simple nudge would send her into the cold abyss, but his feet wouldn't move. He decided to stay quiet to avoid the question. "Like you even care how I feel," she mumbled.

"I don't," he replied, "I just want to know what the hell is going on!" She was silent, staring out into the starry sky. She sat there; her shaky breathing was the only thing he could hear besides the water hitting the side of the ship.

"If you need to know so badly," she mumbled, "I'll tell. You won't care, but I'll explain.

"It started twenty years ago. Fire Nation invaded Kuusai Isles. Three years later, my father, Enjou, was sent to the village of Chikyuu, where he was supposed to keep anyone apart of a resistance in line. But the damn bastard had to go and fall in love with an earthbender by the name of Saki. Of course a few complicated things later and one of his comrades betrayed him and ratted him out to the Commander. He wasn't too pleased to know he had married a detainee, let alone had two disgusting children as he put it: my sister and I.

"He gave my father a choice: his wife's life or his own life. My mother agreed to it, and he severed her head clean off her shoulder. Now, imagine this. You're three years-old, this is the first day you're 'alive,' and the first thing you can remember is your mother's head at your feet. Not something you want to remember for the rest of your life.

"Any who, my father was thrown into exile. He decided to take me only, but they didn't know. It seemed it was all over. But when we had arrived at what seemed like our home, that damn Ozai came."

Zuko was filled with a sudden chill of hate for her, but he didn't say anything. "He came to take my father. I had no idea how callous he could be. All he wanted to do was to debase him in front of everyone. So what he did was he took him back to his damn capital and had him scourged. I remember the cold simper he had on his face, the disconcert stare his wife had, and that stupid idiotic smirk his _son_ had. Hell, he looked like his father up there, smiling at my father's pain." Zuko gritted his teeth, his fingers digging into his hands, but he still kept silent. "He deserved _his_ exile. He now knows how my father felt, being humiliated as the _second_ human to be ignominious. Damn, that seemed like the worst day ever. But it wasn't.

"I had been living in Engoku for about fourteen years. Everything seemed to go by so smoothly. But then the fucking Fire Navy came. They destroyed my home and killed my father. I always hated him, but all he wanted was the best for me. I hated him for what he did to my mother, but I grew use to the fact. Damn, I'm glad it's over."

"I _knew_ I recognized your name!" he snarled viciously. She turned her head to look at him. He had a deadly stance, almost frightful.

"What the heck is that about?" she asked, annoyed.

"I can't believe I even allowed you on the fucking ship!"

"Who are you to think you could talk to me like that?" she retorted his own question back at him.

"I," he started, speaking high and mighty, "am the ignomious son of the guy you hate so much, Zuko!"

She stared at him with humiliation in her eyes. "Oh _shit_!" she mumbled. She started to chew on her lip hard, but she snorted, causing her to bite her lip even harder.

"What the hell is so funny?" he growled. She continued to chew on her lip, not attempting to speak. "Huh?"

"Uh," she started, "you mispronounced 'ignominious'."

"I don't give a fucking shit about mispronouncing a word, dammit!" he snapped harshly. His hands were on fire. She stared at him, frankly, proud she told him. "You," he said in a low tone "are going to leave tomorrow, or I will _personally_ throw you into the water so you can freeze to death."

She shook her head. She swung her leg around and got off of the ledge of the ship. She held the violin in her hand tightly, but carefully so as not to break it. "Hell, if anyone would understand me, I thought it'd be you. But I guess I was right, you are just like your father, almost a facsimile." She walked past him, hitting him in the shoulder. "And one more thing," she called, "that scar on your face looks absolutely repugnant."

'-'

The morning sun had spread over the planet. While Aang and Katara put everything away, Tsuchi cooked up a small meal, while Sokka sulked in a far corner. He had been humiliated not just by anyone, but by a girl. And not just any girl, but one he resented tremendously. He was now certain that he wanted nothing to do with her.

"Sokka," Katara sighed after about thirty minutes into packing, "why don't you just forget about it? No one saw."

"Yeah, Sokka," Aang smiled, "it really was nothing."

"It was too something!" he yelled at them, but not loud enough that Tsuchi could hear him. "I have at least _some_ dignity to hold up!"

"But no one saw anything!" Katara repeated.

"I don't care!" he nearly shouted. "She hates me!"

"Well, you did make a bad first impression," Aang stated.

"That's not the point!" He silenced himself. The two shook their heads and went back to work. They had no time to argue with him with Zuko on their trail. Trying to convince Sokka to let go of a grudge was like telling a bird not to fly. It was easier to move a mountain.

It was about an hour when they had finally cleaned up after themselves. Aang agreed to direct Aapa; it was easier if he was then if Sokka was. Then if him and Tsuchi got into a fight, it would be harder for him to drive them into a mountain. Or if one of them was to push the other off, he could simply go dwon and get htem. He couldn't do that if Sokka was steering.

They were air born for at least an hour when the awkward silence got to Aang. "Well," he started, "nice view, right?"

"It's just water," Katara answered, a bit confused.

"Well, it's still a nice view."

"Not what I'm seeing," Sokka said sarcastically. Aang turned to see what he was talking about. He was facing Tsuchi's direction. She gave him a scowl, but didn't say anything. Aang rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut.

"You don't have to hate me," Tsuchi said to Sokka. "I really didn't do anything. You're just holding a grudge. That extra baggage won't help you in life. It'll only hold you down."

"Yeah, I doubt it. When are we landing?"

"We just got here!" Aang exclaimed. "It hasn't been more than an hour." Sokka let out a histrionic sigh, but didn't say another word.

The flight was moving on to another hour. Katara had fallen asleep, Sokka was 'resting his eyes', and Tsuchi was playing with Momo, raising rocks so he could chase them. Aang was getting tired himself, bored from the endless flight. There was nothing much he needed to do now.

He already had the hang of all of the elements, which now all he really needed to do was to master them. That would be easy, but then what? He had to get into the Fire capital, but that was going to take a lot of planning. He needed to figure out how exactly he was going to carry this entire thing out. It was just one nuisance after another. His mind was cloudy, too much to think about.

"Aang!" someone called, snapping him back to the present. He turned around to see Tsuchi, Sokka, and Katara staring down at something in the water.

"Who, or what is that?" Tsuchi asked.

Aang answered her question. "Zuko…"

'-'(what I've noticed is that a main majority of the story so far has been focusing on Hiashi (the not nameless anymore girl, and Zuko. Spooky o-O.)

"I can't believe you said that," Iroh shook his head. His nephew was trying to eat, but the sudden talk of Hiashi caused him to lose his appetite. He pushed away his breakfast and just sat there. Just last night had he found out that the urchin that he had reluctantly agreed to let stay on the ship was, what he considered, a filthy, impure human. He hadn't seen her since she made the crack about the scar on his face. He scratched the back of his ear, ironically, the same side that was burned. The candle that was closest to him had shot up.

"Well," he started, "it wasn't if I had a choice! We didn't know what she could have done. She lied to us, and I can't stand liars."

"Zuko," Iroh sighed, "this wasn't something that she herself could prevent. It was strictly emotional. Enjou knew better, but his heart knew what it wanted and it just happened to be an earthbender." Zuko shot his head up, staring at his uncle.

"I never told you what she said," he muttered. He stood up sharply. "What the hell do you know?"

"I know everything, Prince Zuko," he responded calmly, continuing to eat his own food, sipping on the cup of juniper tea. "I just happened to know Enjou. He was a nice, respectful gentleman. Totally your opposite." Zuko glowered, but didn't say anything. "He didn't want to join the Navy, but that was your only way of survival at that time. Still is, though. I had the job of training his group. He was very talented, but would never use his abilities on another human unless it was strictly self defense."

"He was fucking stupid then," he muttered, sitting back down. "I'd hate him too."

"Sir!" one of the officers suddenly called. "We've caught sight of the Avatar's bison!"

"Tell the crew! Don't lose sight of him!" Zuko suddenly forgot his and his uncle's conversation. He shot up and ran out of the room.

The girl who went by the name of Hiashi had been walking down the corridor when one of the crew members and Zuko came running out of the dinning area. "What the…" She was fairly curious at what he was running for. She turned to look in the room, to see Iroh stealing Zuko's food. "Don't you think that's a bit uncouth? I abhor him, and I wouldn't even do that." Iroh jumped, dropping his chopsticks on the floor.

"My bad," he smiled. He picked up the sticks, wiped them with his napkin, and placed it on the table.

"What is his problem?" she asked him, figuring he'd know.

"Oh, something about spotting the Avatar's bison," he said nonchalantly.

"The Avatar? I thought they eradicated that freak off! You'd figure that after killing all the Air Nomads, endangering the Water Tribes, and threatening the Earth Kingdom would kill of that little fucker." He looked at her with a confused look. "I'm just saying-."

"You should go help Zuko," Iroh interrupted, standing up. "He could use all of the help he could get."

She stared at him with a you've-got-to-be-kidding-me sort of stare. "He wouldn't let me help him if the world was coming to an end and the only way to stop it was if he just talked to me like a civilized person. Besides, I could care less if he gets that stupid Avatar."

"Well," Iroh said in a suspicious voice, "if you stay on this ship, it will be avoided by the Fire Navy, considering that it does look like one. And if you're here,you're less likely be killed." She stared at him, considering what he said.

"Fine," she finally said. "You give a good point. I'll doubt I'll talk any sense into him, but there's no use not trying." She turned on her heel to run after Zuko.

"Good luck and God's speed," Iroh sighed.

'-'

The squadron was running about all over the ship, preparing their attack. Zuko was standing in one spot, giving orders to them. He was about to yell at one of the officers when he was pulled back into a corridor by the back of his collar. "What the fuck?" he growled, striking whoever had dragged him back into the ship. Unfortunately, he struck the metal wall of the ship; Hiashi had moved before he could hit her. "What the heck was that for?" he snarled at her.

"I am going to help," she said finally.

"No, you're going to stay put before I kill you!" He turned as if to leave, but she grabbed his hair. "Hey!" She turned him around, grabbed his shirt collar, and pulled him towards her.

"Listen here!" she whispered harshly. "I loathe you, you detest me, we're even, alright? But everyone wants us dead. Now you're going to let me help, or I will personally chauffeur the Avatar around. I will teach him how to master firebending, I will teach him earthbending myself, and I'll make sure if there's anything else he need to know, I will get him a scholar to teach him. And once he's done, I will guide him directly into the Fire Nation Capital and make sure he gets his job done. Now you can cleanly evade all of this if you let me help." her eyes were delving into his. He shook his head.

"I'll kill you before you can do that!" She tightened her grip and pulled him closer, their noses now uncomfortably close.

"Try me. You won't kill me." A sudden idea clicked in her head. "Tell you what, if I do a bad job, you may kill me in any form you'd like."

"Fine," he smiled, thinking of any excuse to kill her.

"But," she continued, "if I do a decent job, I stay. Deal?" He frowned at her, her gold eye glaring at him, same with the green one from behind the veil.

"Fine, ya damn wench," he finally said, she let go of him, pushing him away.

"Glad we could have this talk," she smiled wickedly.

'-'


	8. Not so kindred reunion

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

(Dances to Eternity. Great CD!) Ai, ai, ai, I'm you're little butterfly! Green, black and blue make the colors in the sky!

Author's note: **To anyone who wants to know the past of Hiashi, then go to my bio. There should be a story called "One's past."** That should tell you a lot. Since some of the things I said I don't go into detail, she does with her flashbacks. And I got one of the kids in my class to say it was sad, especially when- I'll wait until you read it. And I made a pretty big accomplishment when he said it was sad, since he's pretty not the person to say something like that. Or maybe because I have an advantage. Man, the same thing happened in Inu-Yasha. I'd say something, but then I'd get killed. But if you want to understand some of the references that I will mentioned in this chapter, you have to read it.

**Blackened-fire**: Who's Eduardo? (Looks around) Is it's one of Vendetta's fiends? Uh, I live in Virginia, sure! Yeah if anyone told you otherwise, they're lying! Well, on with the fic.

Chapter eight: Not-so-kindred reunion

'-'

"Aang!" someone called, snapping him back to the present. He turned around to see Tsuchi, Sokka, and Katara staring down at something in the water.

"Who or what is that?" Tsuchi asked.

Aang answered her question. "Zuko…"

"Well," Sokka interrupted, "as much as I want to play 'Get killed by the evil psycho Fire prince,' I think we need to leave!" But it was too late. The ship had already caught sight of them, took aim, and fired. The first had missed them by a long shot, the second one, they weren't as lucky. It brushed past them, causing the overgrown bison to veer off course.

"That jerk!" Tsuchi yelled at him.

"There's no time for that!" Katara yelled. The four of them became fearful. The missiles kept coming at them, never for a second seizing fire.

"Guess it's time to fight fire with fire?" Tsuchi questioned. Before any of them could answer, Tsuchi had already prepared her 'meteor' with sediments from the ocean. Focusing on her target, she took aim and shot it down.

"Damn!" Zuko growled, the ship nearly tipping to its side. "How'd they do that?" Hiashi stared up at the bison, the air taken out of her.

"I know how they did that," she whispered.

"What the hell did you say?" he asked, turning to her.

"Let's play their game," she said to him. "If they want to stay up there, then we just have to go up there!"

"What the heck are you talking about?" She didn't respond; she was concentrating on the ocean. "You're not a waterbender, give it up-." A rock suddenly emerged, spinning around at a fast rate, drying itself.

"If they want to stay up there, then we'll have to go up there and get them ourselves."

"And how do you suppose we do that? Can you fly?" he asked sarcastically.

"If you look," she continued, pointing to the Avatar's staff, "someone has a hang glider-like object. It looks with the right velocity and speed, it will be easy to manipulate the glider up to them. All we have to do is get it."

"How, may I ask?"

"Knock it away. Just one thing I need to do…" Using the same technique she used earlier, the yard-in-diameter rock burst into flames. She looked up at the bison, now hovering about150 feet or more over the ship, angled the fire rock at her target, and with one simple step, she hurled it at her target.

"AANG, watch out!" Sokka screamed. The asteroid was coming directly to them. They barely escaped its path, but they lost something.

"My staff!" Aang yelled, attempting to make a reach for it, but it worked to no avail; it had fallen too far near the ship. Hiashi held out her hand and caught it, and with one drop spin, she held it upright.

"You fucking show-off," Zuko muttered. She hadn't heard what he said, probably for the best.

"Let's pray this works," she said to herself. And with one swift movement, she was up in the air.

"How did she do that?" Sokka yelled, dumbstruck along with the rest. But before anyone could answer, she had disappeared out of their sight.

"Where'd she go?" Aang asked.

"Try behind you," a voice answered. Before any of them could turn around, she had kicked Aang off of the bison.

"Aang!" Katara yelled by rote, which was a bad idea; Hiashiback-fisted her off next.

"Katara! Hey, that's my sister, you little-." Sokka was cut off to a foot in his face, causing him to fall. This left only one person…

Tsuchi looked up to see her competitor. The breeze over the ocean was harsh, directing itself to unveil…

"Oh…my…God…" But those words were never spoken. Hiashi kicked her sister down to the vessel.

"Come on, _kudaru_." She directed the overgrown animal, Momo now tied in a bag.

Down back at the ship, thing were now coming to a closure.

"Finally," Zuko said triumphantly, "after months of tracking you down, after many attempts of trial-and-error, the deed is done. The Avatar is finally in my grasps." His smile stabbed at Aang. Aang wanted so badly to get his friends out of this, but he had nothing with him to help them escape. Unless…

"You're right," he said suspiciously, "you've got me. But can you do this?" And in one swift movement, out of the now burned rope he was tied with, freed his friends, but there was the one variable.

"KIA!" Hiashi had finished her job, and had come to help just in time. She had struck perfectly in the head with her fist, causing Aang to black out. "You don't need me, huh?" she said sarcastically. The crew had already grabbed a hold on the shot her an extremely dirty look at her,enough to shut her up.

"Take them to the jail cell," he spat.

"Except for that one," she added, pointing to Tsuchi. "She comes with me."

"What about us?" Sokka whined. "Why can't we stay?"

"Sokka!" Katara hushed.

"Because," Hiashi answered, "if you come with me, you may never see the light of day again, got it? Put chains on this one," she told the guards, "you'll be sorry if you don't." The guards followed her orders.

"I need to talk to you," Zuko whispered harshly. He grasped her arm tightly and pulled her far from wandering ears. "What the hell are you doing?"

"OW! Let go of me!" she snarled.

"I'll break your arm if I have to! What are you doing?" She kicked him in the shin, twisted her wrist, and pulled her arm out of his grasp. She rubbed her wrist, her skin bright red, the dead skin rubbed off.

"I need to settle some scores," she snapped. "Now let mepass."

She walked past him,following the guards who had taken Tsuchi. "What kind of scores?" he muttered to himself.

'-'

When no one was in ear shot, Hiashi began to speak. "Damn, I'd presupposed they would have killed you," she said to her.

"What are you talking about, who are you?" Tsuchi asked, confused.

"Aw," she mocked in a childish voice, "doesn't little Tuki-ki remember her elder sister?" Tsuchi's eyes widened. "Or," she continued, losing the childish voice, now with a more harsh tone, "has she been brainwashed by the village into believing that her father was nothing but a trivial idiot and her mother was nothing but a lewd wench?"

"That's a bunch of crap!" Tsuchi snapped. "You and I both know it!"

"I harmonize with you with mother," she stated, "but father was nothing more than a dismal excuse for human."

"Damn it, why are you so harsh?" Tsuchi snarled.

"Fuck, do you want to know why? Father was a fool! He didn't see the other prospects he had! There could have been some other arrangement! And now he's nothing but dust! That freaking son of a bitch is dead now and that was all his fault!"

Tsuchi was taking in everything hard. "Wait, dad's-dad's _dead_?"

"What, must I reiterate myself? Of course he is! We were assailed five days ago by the fucking Fire Navy! They damaged everything. They're after us! They want us dead! How do you like that, huh? The world detests you, Tsuchi! There's nothing you can do about it! You're just a grubby, ignominious, reprehensible human! No one wants us! Get used to it, bitch! You're an unwelcomed alien." She turned around to leave, leaving the dumbstruck Tsuchi in confusion. But she stopped, turned to her sister, and cried, "Welcome to reality, ass hole! And don't give me that 'You're so cruel!' bullshit!" She walked outside, addressing the crew to take her back with her 'friends.'

'-'

"Tsuchi!" Katara sighed with relief. All four of them were placed into separate jail cells, fortunately, they were consecutive. "Are you alright?"

Tsuchi stayed silent, waiting for the crew members to leave. Once she heard the last of the foot steps echo out into the strip, Sokka repeated Katara's question. "Katara asked you a question!" he snapped. "What's you're-."

"That girl," she whispered, "sh-sh-she was my sister."

"No way!" Sokka almost shouted, stunned. Katara looked at him, surprised; there was absolutely no hint of sarcasm in his voice. "She's not only doesn't look like you, but she's you're complete opposite! And she works for Zuko!"

She shook her head, leaning her back on the gate, falling to the floor. She buried her face in her knees, trying her best to control her breathing. "She's confused," she whispered. "She was attacked by Fire Navy about five days ago. I mean, she was only witness to my mother's beheading! There was so much that screwed up her mind. You can't blame her." She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. "How's Aang?"

"A bit confused as to why I'm on the floor," a voice echoed from next to Sokka. "And why my head hurts." The three of them turned to see Aang sitting up on the floor, rubbing his head. His eyes looked dazed and weak. "What's up with Tsuchi?"

"That chick who ambushed us was her long lost sister," Sokka muttered to him. Aang shifted to the side to look at the distressed girl.

"Oh, that stinks," he said back to him. He wanted to say something that would help her, but even the Avatar could be lost for words. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I dunno," she replied to him. "What an interesting way to meet your estranged sister."

"'Estranged'?" Sokka asked. "I thought she was your separated sister?"

"What do you think estrange means?" she asked annoyed. She shivered, but didn't say anything.

"What did you're sister say?" Katara asked, hoping that talking about it would help.

"Well, I now know that now both my mother _and_ my father are dead, and that she hated my father. I don't know what's wrong with her. Maybe if all of that didn't happen to her, I dunno... I just wish that I could help." Katara frowned, wishing now that she didn't ask. The jail cell was damp and cold, the pipes leaking and water molecules dropping from its home, and crashing to the floor with a pop.

"How are we going to get ourselves out of this?" Aang sighed. "It's times like this that that hurricane idea of mine would have worked!"

"Wouldn't they leave us here to die?" Sokka said, almost again nullifying Aang's hurricane fantasy.

"Yeah, but then we could waterbend our way out!"

"Was that by chance, or was it a scientific stand?" Tsuchi asked him

"Huh?" Sokka and Aang asked her, puzzled at her words.

"Well, if something is changed into extreme heat or cold, it had a habit of expanding or shrinking. If you were to heat something up extremely or freeze it, and then do the complete opposite to soon, it will create pressure, causing the object to break." Sokka, Katara, and Aang looked at her, looked at each other, and smiled. "What?" she asked, now paranoid. "What did I say?"

"I have an idea now," Aang smiled.

'-'

"You humiliated me, ya damn wench!" Zuko growled at Hiashi, after everyone but Iroh was gone and doing something else. The sun was setting, creating a beautiful glow over the water. The light reflected over the glaciers, creating a fantastic light show. But it was interrupted by Zuko's hatred towards Hiashi. "I let you help-."

"And I did," she interjected.

"And you did," he growled, annoyed at her attitude towards him after all he allowed her to do, "but you have to understand-."

"What? What do I have to comprehend? That you can't abide it when someone actually executes a better job than you, orthat you don't know when to acknowledge reality?" The two of them stared at her, as she seemed shocked at what she had just said. "Déjà fucking vu," she murmured to herself.

"What? Ugh, never mind! I had everything planned and under control, then you had to go and ruin it!"

"You're not assiduous," she told him, "that's why all you're plans have failed. Now you can either accept the fact that I helped you and you have that stupid Avatar, or you could have killed me earlier, and you would have faced some foolish trounce. Make you're choice _now_!" He narrowed his eyes, but was lost for words.

"You're so lucky he's here," he spat,jabbing his finger in the directionofhis uncle, Iroh startled by the sudden mentioning of him, "otherwise I certainly _would_ have killed you!" He stormed off, leaving Iroh and Hiashi alone.

"What is his problem?" she asked him when Zuko was too far to hear. "What did I do to upset him like this?"

"He likes you," he smiled, "he just can't show it."

"That has got to be the most _ludicrous_ thing I have ever heard," she glowered. "If he liked me, he wouldn't menace to kill me so much for every modest action I do in my existence."

"You don't know that for sure," he said to her calmly.

"Yes, yes I do know that for sure. If I'm wrong, may I be killed by some kind of cluster (O-o)." She turned on her heel, and started to walk. "He hates me," she repeated.

'-'

I'm ending here not only because I have to go to school, but because I have something planned for the next chapter. Like I said, to understand some references, you have to read the story I posted up. And I also made some references to the Foamy cartoons! Watch them on illwillpress. com. Until next time, Signing Off!


	9. Dangerous Game

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

(Sings to 'Scared' by Three Days Grace) At night I hear it creeping, at night I hear it move, I'll never sleep here anymore… I wish you never told me, I wish I never knew; I wake up SCREAMING…_it's all because of you_. So real these voices in my head; when it comes back you won't be SCARED AND LONELY! (And so on…)

Author's note: How ironic the song I was listening to. NEHO, I had to run ten laps (about a mile) today, even with a sore leg muscle. I got 10min. and 13sec. Strange, when I walked the same amount, I received 9.45 o-O. Spooky. Adrian, how is that possible? Well, no one cares. On with the fic!

Blackened-fire: (sigh of relief) Good. I thought it was some kind of fiend or something. Well, I'd like to meet this Eduardo. There was one person who would review, but I told them to get some sleep. Shoy, don't sleep **too** much!

Chapter nine: Dangerous Game

'-'

_The sound of her violin was the only thing that filled the air, nothing more…_

It's like I've been here before…

_She stopped playing, listening to her surroundings…_

It's like… someone's… watching me… waiting… ready to strike…

_She shook it off as nothing. She started to play again, but before the bow could even touch the strings, the room was suddenly orange. She looked around herself, flabbergasted at how fast her room had been engulfed into flames. It extended to her bed, and her bureau, burning everything it could get their greedy hands on. "Father!" she screamed as loud as she could. She received no response. "Father?" she called again, urgency filled her voice. She dashed to the door of her room, but a part of her roof fell, blocking her only exit._

_"Shit!" she cried. She was about to kicked the board away, but someone stopped her._

_"Where do you think you're going?" a voice scorned. She twisted around to see a Fire Navy officer standing right in back of her. He struck her hard in the ribs, causing her to curl into a ball on the floor. Her first instinct was to defend herself, but before she could hoist herself on her feet, the Fire officer had grabbed her hair, and did it for her. He slammed her against the wall, his left arm had a death grip on both of her arms, his right pinned her neck to the wall, cutting of her circulation. "You're so pretty," he mocked, playing with her hair with his finger, his finger right next her cheek, "it's a shame I have to kill you." She didn't struggle, in fear that if she did, she could suffocate more. She coughed and choked, gasping desperately for air. She couldn't see her competitor's face, but she heard him laughing. She couldn't stand it. With all of the strength and vitality she had, she struck her knee into the officer's gut. He jerked back in pain, falling to the ground. She fell to the floor, sucking in the lost air, only to cough it back up. _

_"You sick freak!" she snarled. She jumped to her feet, ran to the door, and kicked away the pillar that stood in her exit. _

_"Don't worry," a gentle voice called to her, "I'll help you, Hiashi." A figure with black hair appeared in front of her, dressed in a dark, light green, brown, and grey kimono. Her eyes were like Hiashi's right eye, the bottle green reflecting off of the light of the fire. "It will all-." But the lady's words were cut off. She looked down, and a sword had penetrated its way through the woman. She choked and fell to the floor. Hiashi looked up to see who had killed the woman. It was her own father._

_"Hi-chi," the man mocked, "it will all be okay. Just come with me-."_

_"Hell no!" she snarled. She turned to run, but was stopped by—_

_"Don't worry," Zuko smiled maniacally, "I'll save you." He had a tight grasp on her hands, not allowing her to move in any direction._

_"Let go of me, you royal trash!" she grimaced, thrashing around, trying to free herself of his hold._

_"No way!' he simpered. "I need my honor back. You have nothing. No one wants you; you're just a filthy-blooded stray! No one will care if you die!" She stopped struggling, and looked at him._

_"What the hell did you just say?" she whispered._

_"Don't talk to him like that," a voice from behind scolded._

_"Hell, father," Zuko smirked. He turned her around to face Fire Lord Ozai, his hands still having a death grip on her. _

_"Let go of me!" she screamed, struggling to break free, but it worked to no avail. _

_"Finally," the Fire Lord smiled, his grin filled with disgusting joy, "after sixteen years, you're finally here. All I really wanted was for you dead, but you're foolish father thought he could get away with taking you. He, well, was _dead_ wrong." Ozai's hand drifted to his side, unsheathing a long sword with a Fire Ruby encrusted handle with the Fire Nation's insignia engraved in it. Hiashi's fearful eyes reflecting in the metal, the uncanny Fire metal. Ozai positioned the tip of the sword against Hiashi's neck, right at her windpipe. Hiashi held her breath, remaining inert in fear of killing herself. He pressed the blaze harder into her skin, penetrating the skin. Blood trickled down her neck, staining the blade with her blood._

_"Prepare to follow after you're family, you filthy wench!" The Fire Lord raised his sword, reflecting the room around her. Other than Zuko behind her, there was someone else, a girl with raven, ear length hair, and a black veil around her mouth and head, only revealing her violet eyes. A streak of curt light ran across her eyes. _

_"Trépas," the girl whispered, "accueillons…" The blade came down fast—_

"**_NO_**!" Hiashi shot up in her bed, cold sweat running down her face, her back burning like acid. The room was pitch black, no shadows danced on the walls. She reached for the candle that rested on her bedside table. She snapped her fingers, creating a spark to light the wick. The room illuminated gently, the newly born flame trying to grow up quickly. The bed sheets were awry. She kicked them off, onto the floor.

She drew her knees up and rested her elbows on her knees. She buried her head in her arms and panted. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to shut out the pain in her back. She drifted her hand to her shoulder, gently brushing the wound. It had healed over and started to dovetail with her shirt. She delicately pulled the two apart, recoiling as the skin now reopened. "Fuck!" she mumbled through clenched teeth, biting her lip, causing it to bleed.

Her hand automatically went to her neck, feeling for any form of injury. There was nothing.

_But it felt so life-like. How is that possible?_ And the words that the girl had said, what were they?

_"Trépas… accueillons…"_ What was that supposed to mean? And Zuko?

_I know I loathe him and that he detests me, but does he so much that he'd sell me out to his father just for his honor?_ It was plausible. She pulled her hair back, allowing herself to unveil her right eye. She looked across the room in the direction of Hyroki. He was sound asleep, curled up under her jacket. She wasn't surprised. He was a heavy sleeper. He could sleep through Judgment Day if it was possible. She smiled, but her mind drifted to her dream. It had been so vivid, more so than it usually was. Over the years, it had just taken her life and twisted it even more than it needed. Never once in ten years had she experienced as much fear as she had now.

Before, it was nothing. It was still frightening, but she knew that it was fallacy. But this dream, it was genuine. She had felt the heat of the fire around her, the guy who had attacked her again, the stricture in her throat, the blade, her blood trickling down her neck, Zuko, everything. And the girl's voice, it echoed in her ear. That was what woke her up. The whisper wasn't in the dream, it was real. She woke to the hot-breath of someone whispering in her ear. But there was no one there. The only living creatures in the room were herself and Hyroki, who can't possibly have done that.

_It was all erroneous belief, it was just a dream. It was nothing…_

But it wouldn't leave her mind. "I need air," she muttered to herself. She stepped out of bed, slipped her shoes on, gently removed her jacket away from the sleeping rat, pulled it on, and as quiet as silence, she crept out of her room.

'-'

"Are you sure this'll work?" a doubtful Sokka questioned.

"It should," Tsuchi assured him. "As soon as this bar is done heating up, Katara will use her waterbending to freeze up the bottom part of it. Once frozen, I can break of this part, enabling me to slip the bar out of the slot. Then I can finish the rest." It seemed eccentric, but plausible. He shrugged and allowed her to go back to her job. "Katara," she said after a while, "water." There was plenty down in the damp dungeon. The water from the pipes kept them from sleeping, but then they waited until they were sure that everyone up on board was asleep. They had no ideas what time in the night it was, but as long as no one was awake, time was on their side. Katara concentrated on the small amount of water she had, lashing the liquid around the bottom part of the bar, freezing it over. A loud pop filled their ears, and with one kick, the pole was easily slipped out. Tsuchi slipped herself out of the bar, which were close together to begin with. "Alright, who's next?"

After a little more than an hour, all four of them were free from their cages. The four ran to the door, which to their misfortune, was locked. "Did we figure out this part of the plan?" Sokka questioned.

"I'll do it!" Aang piped up. And with on swift but powerful movement, the door was blown off of its hinges. When it landed with a crash, Aang just smiled at the reactions of the other three. And soon enough, they were on their way to the top of the ship.

'-'

Appa, who had been brought to the back of the ship by Hiashi in order to keep the Avatar's bison as far from him as possible, was sleeping on the deck, for he was too big to fit anywhere else.

Hiashi, who had just woken up to get her mind off of the nightmare, was crossing form the mid-deck to the front, when someone moving caught her eye. She turned around, to see nothing. She lingered in the spot for a while, but continued walking. _It was probably only a shadow. _But when she continued, the movement started up again, moving in the opposite direction of her. "Who's there?" she shouted, her voice echoing within the ship. The movement stopped, but no one answered. If it was crew, they would have responded. But that left only one option…

'-'

"Zuko! Wake up! The Avatar's gone astray!" Hiashi paced outside of his room, anxious as to what took him so long. The door creaked open; a tired Zuko popped his head out.

"What the hell are you doing up this late!" he growled at her. "This better be good!"

"Like I said before, the Avatar's missing!" she repeated, now annoyed.

"What makes you say that? He's-." She held up the rod from the jail cell that had been wrecked.

"There's a door, too," she added, "want to see it?" In no less than a second, Zuko was dashing out of his room, fully dressed.

"Wake up the crew! Make sure he doesn't get to that bison!"

She stared at him as doors started to open. "Yeah, you're welcome," she mumbled to herself.

'-'

The whole ship was searched, but there was no sign of them anywhere. Appa was still in the back of the ship, now heavily guarded by several men. "What made you conveniently think that the Avatar was missing?" Zuko asked accusingly.

"I woke up, jack ass! I heard something moving, and when I got no response from anyone, I just happened to go check on them. Why, are you implying that it's my fault?"

"I'm not saying that it is," he smirked, "you're just assuming again. And we all know what-."

"Yes, you're rejoinders are appalling, we have an Avatar to find!" She turned on her heal and turned to help the search. Where could they have gotten to?

"I told you to stay quiet!" Katara whispered. The four of them had taken refuge in a small vent. They watched as firebenders ran up and down the strips, looking for people who were, quite literally, underneath their noses.

"We can't get to Appa," Aang sighed. "See? My hurricane would've worked!"

"Aang!" Sokka whispered loudly. "Would you just give up on the stupid hurricane?"

"I don't see you coming up with anything!" he replied. He frowned, but didn't say anything.

"This is no time for arguing!" Tsuchi snapped at them. The two immediately shut up, staring at her.

"Do you have anything?" Katara asked her.

"Well," she started, "there are drainage systems up through this ship. I think Appa is under one. We can travel through the shafts, and no one will notice. We just need to be _quiet_!" she whispered sharply, adding emphasis on 'quiet.' "Now, shall we start?" While the others followed her, Sokka walked behind. He lost his attitude towards Tsuchi, but he still didn't like her. So even though she had helped them into getting out of the jail cell, he still detested her. Thus, he stayed away.

After walking through yards of vents, they came across one that, with great luck, was directly under Appa. "Appa!" Aang whispered. The bison grunted, alerting Aang that he was listening. "Don't call too much attention to yourself. We're coming up." The bison grunted again, signaling him that he understood. "Good boy!" The only thing they needed to know now was how to get out without anyone noticing.

"How're we going to get out?" Sokka moaned.

"The same way we got out the last time," Aang answered. He grabbed on the gate of the vent and hoisted himself up. With some simple heat, he was able to burn a small hole, small enough that no one could see, but large enough that they could slip out of easily. He helped Sokka up, who helped him get the girls up. The sky was a dark oblivion, the stars like embers. But they had no time to admire them. They had their lives to look at. They quietly hopped on Appa, no one bothering to stop them, even though they were right there. It was almost too easy…

"There they are!" Hiashi yelled out.

'-'

Sorry this took too long. I was ice skating on Thursday (5/26) and this guy in my class was playing tag with my other friends. See, he's kind of in with my inner circle, and he thought I was playing, which is odd since I NEVER play! So he comes up to me and gently nudges my shoulder and he's like, "You're it!" And just to let everyone know, I'm not a good ice skater, so I lost my balance and fell on my wrist. So now it hurts, and my other arm is having a spasm right now. So again with the apologies. You guys are so lucky that I have time differences. Ask any of my close friends (linkfreak, Miroku the halfhenti, shippoelric) I have problems with my conscience. I will apologize to one person for at least ten minutes for something very little. Well, until next time, Signing Off!

**CONTEST: I need a world! As in some kind of planet. Think up a world that you'd like the Avatar to go to. (E. g.: A world where everyone has the power to read minds, but they can't hear people speak., It could be normal if you want it to! Just think of something.) Or think of a country, and make up a world based on that theme. It cannot be anything disturbing or disgusting though (as in perverted). Then, make up a character from that world (min: 1, max: 10). Give me full description. My email is on my bio. I will only be picking one! So get them into me before the tenth chapter (I might extend it) PLEASE! NOTE: E-mail me first for a form! (organized procedure)**


	10. Their escape

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

(Now I'm listening to Linkin Park) It never goes away, and now you've become apart of me...

Author's note: **CONTEST: I need a world! As in some kind of planet. Think up a world that you'd like the Avatar to go to. (E. g.: A world where everyone has the power to read minds, but they can't hear people speak.) Or think of a country, and make up a world based on that theme. It cannot be anything disturbing or disgusting though (as in perverted). Then, make up a character from that world (min: 1, max: 10). Give me full description. My email is on my bio. I will only be picking one! So get them into me before the twelfth chapter (I might extend it) PLEASE!**

**Blackened-fire**: How did you review so fast? My computer hasn't even posted the chapter up yet! Oh well, thank you for so far being my only reviewer. And my tenth!

Oh well. On with the fic!

Chapter ten: Their escape

'-'

"There they are!" Hiashi shouted.

"Oh dear," Katara muttered. Before anyone could say another word, guards were attacking them.

Tsuchi took on a few guards, careful as to which element she used. Her choice: none other than earth. Sokka took on a few, while his sister took on some, now her waterbending skills sharper than ever. Aang, now catching the hang of all four elements, was having fun taking on his share, mixing and matching the different elements. But another unknown factor was that Zuko was right behind him. With all of the power he had, he forced a fire ball at Aang's back. "You may have all of the elements, Avatar," he snarled at him, "but you sure as hell ain't good at any of them!"

"I think I've done pretty good!" Aang chimed, using some of the water off of the floor as a whip.

"You think you've done pretty _well_, you amateurish sprite!" Hiashi snapped form a distance.

"No one cares about English you wench!" Zuko said candidly. She shook her head, but allowed him to continue with his job.

"How about taking on someone of equal powers?" someone yelled in back of her. Before she could turn around, she was nearly struck by a whip made of sand.

"HYA!" She struck her sister in the shoulder with her foot. "You have to think fast on your feet, imouto. That's what I've learned." Tsuchi shook the pain off.

"Guess it's time to play hard, now is it?" she smiled.

"Guess so, baby sister!"

'Playing hard' wasn't exactly a description. Hiashi still had the advantage over her sister, not only because she had more experience, but she more dexterous and quicker on her feet. It was the competition between Hiashi and Zuko if he wasn't so good.

Zuko, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky either. It was tough at first, but now that Aang had all four elements on his side, it was more difficult than before. "Dammit!" he growled midway of the fight.

"Come on Zuko," Aang teased, "is that all you got?" Zuko seethed, but just continued trying to get the little brat off of his feet. The fight continued, it was worse that fighting Hiashi, he admitted that.

The sun began to rise, signaling Aang that they were probably running out of time. _Think, think…_ But he wasn't paying any attention to his new competitor.

"Too much thinking, Avatar!" Hiashi laughed. With a flaming foot, she kicked him off his feet.

"HEY!" he frowned. "I wasn't ready!"

"Well, neither was I," she replied, forming a rope of fire, lashing it out at him, "but the world doesn't stop for one person!" Aang had no time to think. He sent a spiral of wind at her, hoping that would slow her down. "You foolish Avatar." A ball of fire came shooting through the eye of the funnel, causing Aang to lose his balance. "I've learned a lot!"

"So have I!" Aang added. Using his own form of fire, he shot a series of sparks at her. She stood there, but with an outside press kick, she swatted away the embers like flies.

"Ah, yes you might have, but I have experience!" She summoned sand, creating a dust cloud, sending it in his direction, along with a fire center. It almost hit him in the head, but he blew it off.

The fight was going on for more than three hours. Katara and Tsuchi both knew that that was too long. "Katara," Tsuchi whispered, pulling her away from a fight, "we need to end this and get away! I'd ask Aang for help, but he's busy. I just got away from Zuko. If we get our targets right, we can slip away."

"But how could I help?" Katara asked.

"Just follow my lead."

'-'

"Damn! Where'd she go?" Zuko muttered to himself. Tsuchi had slipped out of his grasp. All who were left was the Avatar and his dorky friend with the boomerang. But there was something wrong. Something irregular was going on…

The boat stopped abruptly, causing everyone standing to fall over, the boat swaying violently. "What was that?" Sokka cried.

Zuko had taken off to see what had caused the unexpected stop. Hiashi jumped to her feet, not waiting to stop. "Aang!" someone shouted from behind. "Hiashi turned around to see the bison up in the air.

"ZUKO!" she hollered. "GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE! DON'T LET THEM LEAVE!" Not waiting another second, she hurdled a fire ball at the overgrown animal. The others followed.

"What the heck happened?" Zuko yell at her, running to join the rest in taking down Appa.

"I don't know!" she glared. "Just shut up and fire!" More than twenty people were attacking them, but to no avail; they were too far now.

Zuko's arms fell to his side, and he turned to Hiashi. "Thanks a lot, you stupid wench! Now they're gone, and it's your fault!"

"My fault?" Hiashi repeated.

"Yes! You let them slip out of your sight! Some vigilance you have!"

"_I_ let them slip out of my sight?"

"Yeah, see, if you're going to repeat everything I say, this conversation's going to take twice as long."

"No one gives two shits if it does!" she snapped. "This was equally both our liability!"

"I had nothing to do with this!" he spat. The crew started to back away, fearful that if could get out of hand.

"Yes you did! If you didn't mosey off to see what instigated the boat to veer off course, then we wouldn't be in this predicament!"

"It was your fault, not mine! You were right there!"

"If you kept an eye on my sister, then that wouldn't have transpired!"

"So what, I'm a baby-sitter now?"

"I never said that you arrogant dimwit!"

"How many mistakes will it take you to figure out when to shut your mouth, you filthy blooded wench?" He knew that he said something extremely offensive.

"Is that your game, Zuko?" she said quietly. "If that is, you royal trash, them I'm no coward."

"Don't you dare…"

"I'll instigate the fight. I don't care. You keep talking and you'll be surprised at how much I know."

"You get away from me-."

"And what?" she questioned. "Oh, you'll kill me? If I had a Fire Navy officer for every time you told me that, I could take over this planet faster than your father. Now I suggest that you keep your foul mouth shut before I-."

"Ha, _you_ can't kill _me_!" he simpered. "This is _my_ ship. I'll toss you overboard. Ask anyone. I don't do well with threats."

"I should know," she smiled wryly, "you never carry out yours." She turned around and left a fuming Zuko standing alone.

'-'

"That was seriously close!" Aang sighed, direction Appa in a different direction.

"I'll say," Katara smiled, "but at least we got away."

"Well, we can't celebrate now," Sokka frowned. "We need to get as far away from here as possible."

Tsuchi, who hadn't said anything since the boat, was sitting far away from everyone.

"That was some great waterbending back there, Katara," Aang praised.

"Thanks," she smiled, "but it was Tsuchi's idea. She was the one who created the rock to stop the ship in the first place." Tsuchi shut everything out, still brooding over yesterday.

_"The world detests you, Tsuchi! There's nothing you can do about it! You're just a grubby, ignominious, reprehensible human! No one wants us! Get used to it, bitch! You're an unwelcomed alien." She turned around to leave, leaving the dumbstruck Tsuchi in confusion. But she stopped, turned to her sister, and cried, "Welcome to reality, ass hole! And don't give me that 'You're so cruel!' bullshit!"_

_Maybe she's right,_ she thought. _But she has such a negative look on like. I can't remember that far back; I don't even know my own sister's name! Argh! This is so confusing!_ She sighed deeply.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked her.

"Huh, oh, nothing," she smiled. Katara eyed her, but didn't ask any further.

_She can only fool herself for so long… she can only fool herself for so long…_

'-'

Hiashi and Zuko's argument had reached Iroh at about noon. "This so stupid," he sighed. "Two teenagers arguing over whose fault it is that the Avatar got away. Despicable!" Both Hiashi and Zuko were sitting on opposite sides of Iroh, none of them looking at each other. "And to add to it by calling each other names? That's even worse! I expected better from you two."

"Well, if that damn bitch didn't let him get away, then we wouldn't be in this argument," Zuko muttered.

"Well, if he wasn't so thick and narrow, we wouldn't be having to dispute about something as brainless as this," Hiashi mumbled. "That stupid child."

"I am not a child!" Zuko jumped up.

"Well, I wouldn't articulate it if it wasn't factual!" she snapped back, up on her feet as well.

"Both of you!" Iroh shouted at the two of them. "You both sit down! I didn't ask you to speak!"

"Well, he spoke first!" Hiashi shouted defensively.

"I wouldn't have said anything if I was trying to clarify my innocence!" Zuko retorted.

"Both of you SIT!" he yelled again, yanking both of them down into their chair by their hair. The chairs moved with a clank, both of them rubbing their heads.

"Ai, sorry," she mumbled.

"What was that for?" Zuko grumbled, scratching his head.

"You both are children!" he finally said. Both Zuko and Hiashi looked at him in shock, and then traded glances. "We all know that we have something to complete, but we can't finish it if both of you are not working cooperatively with each other. You'll be in the same spot forever if you don't both put what little differences you have behind you! Now why do you hate each other so much?"

_"Who died and gave you the position of the Fire Lord? It certainly wasn't him!"_

_"Why the hell are you still here? Don't you have a life to attend to?"_

"It' complicated," Zuko murmured, "you wouldn't understand."

"It's just stupid," Hiashi said under her breath.

"If it's stupid, then why are you still arguing? This fight has gone from bad to worse since you've met! Just forget about it! I'm sure you both didn't mean whatever you said. It probably was just a mistaken accident!" It was true. In reality, it was a mistaken accident. He looked at the two, and was sure he made a point. "Why don't you two apologize?" he asked calmly.

"Sorry," both muttered in unison, their eyes didn't move from the floor.

"See?" he asked cheerfully. "That wasn't so hard now."

"He's still a jerk," Hiashi mumbled.

"She's still a wench," Zuko muttered.

"I'll pretend that I didn't hear that," Iroh said. "Now, shake hands." That was a little too much, but whatever it took to let them leave, they were almost reluctant to do it. The two stood up, and grudgingly held out a hand. They grasped each other's hand tight, as if to break the others. After no more than a few seconds, the two let go, their arms shooting down to their sides, wiping their hands on their clothes. "I'm glad you two cooperated long enough to listen. I hope we don't have this problem again."

'-'

Is this the end of their arguments? Heck no! I have too much fun watching and typing Zuko fighting with someone with a temper equivalent to his! It fun stuff there! Well, until next time, Signing Off! PLEASE enter the contest people! Look at what chapter is coming next?


	11. Cosmo Epée

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

I want to be in another place, I hate when you say you don't understand… I want to be in the energy, not with the enemy a place for my head…

Author's note: **CONTEST: I need a world! As in some kind of planet. Think up a world that you'd like the Avatar to go to. (E. g.: A world where everyone has the power to read minds, but they can't hear people speak. Or it could be completely normal! It could be based on a specific !) Or think of a country, and make up a world based on that theme. It cannot be anything disturbing or disgusting though (as in perverted). Then, make up a character from that world (min: 1, max: 10). Give me full description. My email is on my bio. I will only be picking one! So get them into me before the twelfth chapter (I might extend it) PLEASE! (No one cares, do they?)**

**Blackened-fire**: I have something else up my sleeve. What's going to happen? What am I going to do? Will it be worse than the heated chair? No one knows…

Chapter eleven: Cosmo Epée

'-'

It was a long time before the sun had started to set over the western part of the atmosphere. The four of them were falling in and out of oblivion as they cam closer and closer to land on a nearby Earth Kingdom island. It looked desolate, then again, it was apart of a series of islands. It really didn't matter. Most of the places that they found were usually deserted. But this one had a different feel to it. It seemed important in a way. They were far from Zuko's ship, so it might be safe to take up camp. They hadn't gotten far, and they still needed to get to the North Pole. But the day had been long. "You guys want to stop her for the night," Aang questioned in the midst of the silence.

"I don't see the harm," Katara answered him, yawing away the lethargy she felt.

"We need to get as far away from here as soon as possible!" Sokka intervened.

"But we've been up since yesterday, can't we get at least _some_ sleep?" Katara complained.

"Sokka de Baca is right," Tsuchi interrupted. Sokka narrowed his eyes, about to say something, but before he could say anything else, she continued talking. "We could, A) stay up in the air, sleep in intervals and risk Zuko's people seeing us, or B) we can stay on the island, and hide in the forest. Appa is a big white bison that stands out like a sore thumb. Shall we?" Sokka was lost, but he knew he was beat. So it was decided. Aang directed Appa down to the island, which was about a couple of hundred feet below them.

Once they landed on the island, as far as they could see, there were just trees. The forest was covered with weird lookingshrub shaped like a jellysquid. The trunks supported the tree from the bottom, with about six or seven roots. It was like a tent. Along with those were a series of needletrunks. They stood about forty to fifty feet tall, the trunks covered with sets of sharp bows extending about ten feet from its roots. The grass was different too. No taller than two inches, the blue-green grass wasn't shaped like a blade, but rather a rain drop. The breeze gently shook the trees, scaring the birds from their perch. "Well," Sokka finally said, "interesting place they have here! These trees seem comfy enough to sleep under. It saves us time to put up a tent."

No one was listening to him. "What is that?" Aang queried, looking into an ivy covered wall.

"What am I," Sokka asked, annoyed, "just some kind of tree?"

"Sorry, Sokka," Aang said apologetic, "I was looking at the wall." It was very outlandish. It was some kind of wall with strange inscriptions within it:

_Avertissant__, Cosmo Epée. _

_Trouvent__ détenteur._

"What's that supposed to mean?" Katara whispered.

"Is it some kind of password?" Aang asked.

"Or maybe there's another word," Tsuchi murmured. She scratched her head, trying to recall any possibilities.

_"Équilibrent rudiments…"_

Bricks in the wall suddenly started to move in different directions opening up an entrance to a dark passage. The four of them stuck their head in the entrance, staircase style. "What do you think it is?" Sokka questioned from top.

"Your question's as good as mine," Tsuchi replied.

"It looks significant," Katara stated.

"It looks fun!" Aang smiled. "Let's go inside!"

"We don't even know what's in it!" Katara said to him, her voice was trying to warn him. Unfortunately, he didn't hear her. Aang had started to walk into the entrance.

"Come on, Momo," he called to his lemur. Momo stuck his head in the opening, sniffed around, but ran and jumped on Appa. "Don't be a baby!" he called to him, but Momo wouldn't budge. "Well, are you guys coming?"

"Alright," Sokka said, "who wants to go down the creepy tunnel first?" Tsuchi stood up, placed one foot into the door, and pushed herself in.

"It doesn't seem deadly," she called, after walking about thirty feet in, "just dark, damp and festooned with cobwebs. Other than that-."

"Wow!" Aang suddenly exclaimed, looking at something down a separate corridor.

"What is it?" Katara called after him, forgetting where she was and just walked in.

"What? Are you just leaving me here?" Sokka yelled after them, still standing outside. It seemed like Sokka was just a clay pot. He sighed melodramatically, and followed them in, dragging his feet behind him.

The narrow cold stone was dark, their shadow soon fading into the nothingness of the dimness of the temple. The stone absorbed the chilling temperature of the north, ricocheting it back out, sending a chill down their spines. "Aang," Katara called, "where are you?"

"Over here, you guys!" Aang's stifled voice called down the depths of one passage. "Come check this out!" The three of them exchanged glances, but followed anyways. Aang led them down to a grey wall, engraved with some sort of message:

_Ici__ git Cosmo Epée._

_Procédons__ avec circonspection._

_Mauvais__ ensuit._

"What do you think it means?" Katara questioned.

"Dunno," Tsuchi responded, "maybe some kind of directions?"

"But for what?" Aang asked rhetorically.

"No use pondering," Sokka answered to them, "who wants to find out what this is?"

"Do you speak code?" Tsuchi asked him.

"No, but does it matter? We got in without a password, so I think we can get through the rest."

"Are you telling me you—never mind," Tsuchi shook off. "It's confusing. Let's think. If you were some kind of secret passage way, what would open you up?"

"Some sort of secret brick?" Aang suggested.

"Maybe some sort of knock?" Katara recommended.

"Does it really matter?" Sokka shrugged. "I mean, it's not like if I make up some kind of word, like 'ouvert', that it'll open." A sudden shaking interrupted their conversation. They turned to the wall to see bricks moving, their entrance closing behind them, leaving them in the darkness. "Uh, Tsuchi?" Sokka said in the black. "Right now would be a good time to put that firebending to work."

"Right!" she laughed sheepishly. A sudden glow illuminated in her hand. "Look!" she pointed out. "There're some torches." She shot some sparks out at the wooden stakes, lighting up the passage. Weird markings covered the walls. Mostly of the language that covered the rest of the walls. What was strange was that all four elements had their insignia engraved into the cold clay walls. There was a timeline of the war, of how the war began, and every event that has happened because of it. Some expected, like the disappearance of the Avatar, the euthanasia of the Air Nomads, the endangerment of the Water Tribes, and the threat to the Earth Kingdom, and some unexpected : Tsuchi and Hiashi were named along with Enjou and Saki, both labeled '**déserteur**,' Zuko's exile (also labeled **déserteur**), and the destruction of the jail ward they instigated. Aang, Katara, and Sokka were also on the timeline, all labeled as '**Avatar's retour**.' Every death had been recorded; even more were engraving themselves as they stood in their spots. The timeline grew longer, inch by inch.

"This is really freaky," Sokka murmured, "let's get out of here."

"Look at that," Aang pointed out a sign.

**_TOUTE RUDIMENTS VOLONTÉ RESTONS DIVISA ET VIVANT!_**

"What do you suppose it's implying?" Katara questioned.

"I don't know," Sokka answered slightly nervous, "but anything talking to me through freaky messages in the wall with a language I can't understand, I don't really think as a friend. Can we leave?"

"Aw!" Aang whined. "But we just got here! And besides, we should explore further. There might be something in here we can use."

Sokka just rubbed his head. "There's no use getting through his head. It goesin one ear, and out the other."

'-'

Further into their delving, they came upon another door. This one had the same language. "This is confusing!" Sokka cried. "How're we going to get through this if we keep running into something we can't understand?"

"I don't know. If there was just some way," Tsuchi muttered to herself.

"Hey, have we tried this?" Aang suddenly asked, sending an air current into one shoot. A lock click, signaling that one lock had been opened.

"Are you saying that element bending opens the doors?" Katara questioned him.

"What doesn't?" Sokka asked sarcastically.

"All we need is some-."

"Fire!" Tsuchi finished for him, sending a powerful flame into another shoot.

"And some-."

"Water," Katara finished, bending the water she had in the flask next to her.

"And some earth," Aang finished, sending rocks in as fast as he could bend them. The last three clicked, and soon enough the bricks started to move again, opening up to a small room.

They stepped in, looking at what was in the middle of the room. Incased in a glass box was a dagger with a blade about seven inches long, made with what looked like pure silver. The handle was what caught their attention. Divided up into four triangles, were all four elements. Each had its name written in kanji, along with the nation's flower and their native gem. But at closer observation, where the ends of the triangles would meet, connecting all four colors, it was covered with black, thus the colors were only separated. Along the bottom brim of the handle was a familiar phrase: _Cosmo Epée_, written in gold letters on a black band. "Such a nice weapon," Sokka smiled, "be a shame if something happened to it."

The glass suddenly started to fold away, causing all four of them to step back. The glass disappeared, leaving it open to them. "I wonder if we can touch it," Katara questioned. Aang had the same question, but he didn't bother to ask. He reached out to pick it up, but a sudden bolt of magenta lightning shot out and struck Aang's finger.

"Ow!" he shouted in pain, jerking his hand back. Tsuchi looked at the sword, and cautiously neared her finger towards it. When her finger reached around two inches away, sparks started to appear, so she drew her hand back.

"Well, we know we can't touch it," Sokka said, "now what?"

"Well, we don't know that for sure," Tsuchi responded, "you two haven't tried."

'-'

"Let's try this again," Iroh sighed, "and this time, will you listen?"

"We've done this exercise already!" Zuko groaned. "I told you, the Avatar has all four elements on his side! I only have one!"

"Two," Iroh corrected, "you have two, nephew. Fire, and Hiashi has earth."

"She doesn't count!" he yelled. "She's just a stupid wench!"

"Uh, hello! I'm right here!" she called from the side. "I can hear every word you are saying!"

"Oh, what's the difference of you hearing?" he asked her, annoyed. "You already know it's true!" She narrowed her eyes, but didn't say anything, continuing on her work.

"Ah, silent anger," he smirked, "the universal sign of victory."

"Yes, for foolish people as yourself," Iroh said. "Hiashi, would you like to join us?"

"No thanks," she answered, "I have my own practice and I'm active doing something."

"Just leave her to her doodling," he said quietly to his uncle, "she's obviously too 'important' to learn anything new."

"Zuko," she chimed, looking up from her work, "if that bison left our boat when the sun was exactly ten degrees up east, and they left here traveling about northwest at ninety kilometers per minute, against a wind about ten kilometers per minute, then how far will they be when the sun reaches one hundred and forty-five degrees on the west?"

"What?" he dumbly asked.

"Precisely," she smirked, "someone needs to figure it out, and evidently your head doesn't have the competence to remedy a math problem as byzantine as this. So I advocate you mind that lip, boy, or you'll be the individual doing this. And I don't suppose that you necessitate another brain collapse."

Zuko stared at her questioning her words, but shook his head clear. "Whatever," he mumbled. "Ju-just get back to whatever you're doing."

"I made your head hurt, didn't I?" she smiled.

"Shut the hell up, bitch!" he snarled. She didn't say another word, but from behind her book, she was snickering evilly. Iroh bit his tongue, trying to keep himself from laughing as well. "Well!" he snapped. "Weren't we doing something?"

After a little more than an hour, the sun had set even more, leaving them in a tough predicament. Zuko was getting frustrated at anyone who annoyed him, which didn't go to much surprise, and Hiashi was still absorbed into figuring out the complex math problem. She sat on the cold, hard floor, twirling her pen between her fingers like a baton. Hyroki sat next to her, staring up at her with his big glowing red eyes. The sky was now orange, and yet, Hiashi was still outside trying to figure out the problem. Zuko had enough and decided to flaunt his new victory. "Just give up!" he sneered. Not even you can answer the problem!"

"What direction are we going in?" she asked spontaneously.

"What?" he repeated.

"I said-."

"I know what you said!" he snapped.

"Then answer my question. What direction are we going in?"

"We're going northwest, why?"

"Set the course to northeast at twenty degrees," she instructed, hopping up onto her feet, "we're going to follow them."

'-'

Now you people seriously need to answer this question: **Who should be the holder of the mysterious sword: Katara or Sokka?** If no one answers, I'm going to end up flipping a coin. I despise flipping coins! That's what I did when I was voting for student council president, and I don't want to do it again (even though the person who I voted for won. She's a cool friend!) But please, just answer the question and will SOMEONE ENTER THE CONTEST? Signing Off!

(PS: I stole this idea from the 'His Dark Materials' Series. I just loved that book and wondered what would happen if Aang or someone from the Avatar world got a hold of it. So, I decided to base a story on it. But let's just say it will be a bumpy ride even I won't understand. I realise that's sad, so I'm still figuring out the mechanics. I'll get back to everyone about that if I ever figure it out...)


	12. The Next Step

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Pade lao… Pade lao… Pade lao…

Author's note: **CONTEST: I need a world! As in some kind of planet. Think up a world that you'd like the Avatar to go to. (E. g.: A world where everyone has the power to read minds, but they can't hear people speak. Or it could be completely normal! It could be based on a specific era.) Or think of a country, and make up a world based on that theme. It cannot be anything disturbing or disgusting though (as in perverted). Then, make up a character from that world (min: 1, max: 10). Give me full description. My email is on my bio. I will only be picking one! So get them into me before the twelfth chapter (I might extend it) PLEASE! (No one cares, do they? Also, this was after the modification.)**

**Blackened-fire**: Yeah, sure, people with bending abilities can't touch it (shifts eyes) well, since you're the only person who voted, we'll go with Sokka. So Sokka it is! Yeah, I could explain why Tsuchi and Aang can't touch it, but I can't. I'll give you peeps a hint: remember the sword's handle! And the message on the wall in **_bold italics_** (it's in a different language. Want to decode it? Go to langtolang. com, it should be obvious as to which I used. It ain't Spanish, though)! And I can give you another, but then that'd be stupid of me. NEHO, sorry for making your head hurt. Was it me or was it Hiashi? She makes my head hurt too.

Chapter twelve: The Next Step

'-'

"Well, we don't know that for sure," Tsuchi responded, "you two haven't tried."

"After seeing what happened to you two?" Sokka laughed. "-Pfft- I don't think so!"

Katara eyed it. "It can't be all that bad. You never know unless you try."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's what the Fire Nation thought," Sokka replied. "Look at them now: nearly taking over the world and half the human population wiped out."

"Then why don't you try?" Aang said to him.

Sokka looked at him oddly. "Yeah, like I'd be able to hold that!"

"Well, he has a point," Katara encouraged. "Go ahead and try."

Sokka looked at all of them. All of them stared at him, urging him to at least try. He exhaled deeply. "Fine," he mumbled, "I don't want to, but I'll do it anyways. If I get my hand fried, then someone else is to."

"That's all we ask," Aang smiled.

Sokka walked up the stand, nearing his hand towards it, still unsure as to what he was doing. _What am I doing? Just touch the stupid thing, get your hand burned, and the sooner we can leave!_ He moved his hand closer, more swiftly. His hand was now no less than an inch, yet the sword wasn't reacting. It sat there, still calling out to someone. He decided to get it over with, rather than anticipating the moment. He quickly grabbed the sword's handle, pulling it away from the platform. Nothing happened. "Well, what did we say?" Katara smiled.

"Well, I guess I _am_ the one who should have it," he said with a hint of egotism. "I mean, after all, you guy have the element stuff and—OW!" He suddenly dropped the dagger, falling to the floor with a clank. "I-it-it _bit_ me!" he turned his hand up to reveal a gash across his fingers, thumb, and the middle of his palm.

"Ouch," the three of them said in unison.

"That must've hurt," Aang cringed.

"No, it tickled!" Sokka said sarcastically. "I knew that stupid knife wasn't any good." They turned to look at the knife, the handle covered with blood. But no sooner, the blood evaporated, leaving it clean. It glowed with a dim light, but the light faded away. Sokka didn't notice. He was too busy dressing his wound, streaming out a list of curse words, bashing the knife.

"Maybe you should try again," Aang suddenly said.

"And have it do that to me again?" he laughed. "You have a better chance of me liking Tsuchi!"

"What the hell?" she laughed, even though it was caustic.

"Just try," Katara pleaded.

"Forget it! Get someone else!"

"Did you ever think that the dagger did that for a reason?" Tsuchi asked him. "Maybe it was designed to be used by one person and one person only, and it chose you."

"Forget it! I'm not touching it!"

"He's not going to give in," Katara sighed, "he's stubborn like this, let's just go and leave the stupid knife here."

Tsuchi hatched a plan. "Tell you what, you try to handle the blade again, I'll tell you what the walls say."

"You can't speak this language!" he snorted.

"How do you know? Do you know me well enough to make that judgment?"

"If you knew, then you would have translated earlier." She glared at him. "AHA! See? I'm not stupid!"

"What if the people who owned this place come back? Won't they know that we took it?" Aang asked out of the blue.

"Then why would they have let us in? You'd think they'd have better security," Katara stated.

"Well, we can't pick it up. Someone has to, and it better be him," Tsuchi said to the two of them, pointing her finger at Sokka.

"Fine!" he said extremely irked. "I'll put the stupid knife back on the stand, and then we're out of here, no ifs, ands, or buts! Man!" He shook his head and walked over to the sword and picked it up. Unexpectedly, the walls started to shake, the language changed from its native script to reveal a message:

_The World Sword is a sacred heirloom past down from the generation of the Resistance. _

_Created by a shaman by the name of Shakuson Kyomash, it was designed from exactly three pure metals: _

_Iron_

_Copper_

_Silver _

_It was also devised from a synthetic metal made from Oxygen and Nitrogen. It was left untouched for fifty years in hope that someone would use it._

_The dagger was designed to allow the possessor to travel beyond the stars, helping them move through the different worlds that the Creator has made. _

_The metals combined make it more powerful than anything, allowing it to cut through anything. The only way to conceal its powers is a special made sheaf fashioned with dragon hide from a Burrow Drache. _

_As the legend was to have, the possessor was to use it for good and for good ONLY. If the person was to suddenly turn, the sword would destroy itself. It chose one owner and was to be used by one person. If anyone was to try and purloin it, or use it, it will put up its shield. However, in the even that one was to break through it, it would break itself, so that no one would be able to._

_This sword was devised to end the war, allowing all four elements to live in peace and separated. _

_That was changed now. The Fire Nation has cut through and there is only hope that someone from the Resistance or from the outside will use this sword with care._

_All elements must live on, but only separated. There is no more risk._

_Use it wisely. _

"Well, we now know these people are crazy," Sokka smiled with sarcasm, "let's go, shall we?"

"Wow," Aang said breathlessly, "a knife that can take you to different worlds? That is so cool! Let's try it out"

"Calm down, Aang" Tsuchi said to him, "we haven't asked Katara." The three of them turned to her.

"Well, to leave this world, wouldn't we be spreading the war?" she observed.

"Not really," Tsuchi explained. "If we plan right, we could go to those worlds where we can plan a route to the Fire Nation that can't be flawed. We could learn a few things on the way, and I doubt Zuko and my sister could follow us. If the wall was right, then there was only one made, and it was designed for the use of ending the war. That means that their only chance of following us is if they made their own. They wouldn't know where to start. So in reality, it wouldn't, or _shouldn't_ do any harm."

"Well, when you put it that way," Aang smiled, "it sounds like the world is on our side. Let's go!"

"But I want to stay here!" Sokka protested. "What if we do something? Someone innocent could die (o-O)! We can't put someone else through that."

"But if we do, we could avoid it," Tsuchi replied. "We have the knife, which can make our escape cleaner. Please?"

He looked at the three of them, all pleading for him to give in. He was outnumbered, and that could lead to trouble. "Argh! Fine, are you guys happy now? We just need to figure out how to work this thing."

'-'

"How long is your stupid assumption going to take?" Zuko sighed heavily, very exasperated that they had to take a different course. "You said so yourself, they went northwest!"

"Then the islands could alter, the world gyrates!" Hiashi snapped. "The closest land was right here, "she said, pointing to a series of islands close together with a long, black nail. "They've been up since yesterday morning, and I'm sure that could enervate anyone. My conjecture: they stopped at the closest form of land they could find, and they might have stopped here. They couldn't imperil us spotting them up in the air, so they selected land, where they could disappear, us assuming that they're up in the sky endeavoring to get as distant from us as feasible."

"Why do you think you're always right?" he asked her vexed.

"Because I'm always right," she smiled.

"You disgust me."

She frowned. "I aghast a lot of people. But you'll change your mind, once you see that I'm right."

"I doubt it," he smirked, "you don't impress me."

"I'm only here so I don't get killed," she shrugged. "Hurry up!" she shouted over her shoulder. "They could be doing anything!"

'-'

"Okay," Sokka said, "I think I got it." He tried again, but this time he missed. "Alright, lemme try this again." He missed again.

"I think it's more like meditation," Katara said to him.

"Look, I can handle this!" he assured them, although he didn't sound so sure himself. He tries again, but it wouldn't work. The sun was almost setting, now the sky was just a faint orange, the purple taking over it more. The winter breeze was sharp on them, but they didn't notice. They were more focused on how to work the sword; the wall left no instructions on how to use it. "Okay, Sokka," he said to himself, "calm down, and let the stupid sword do the work." He relaxed himself, and raised the blade. And with one swift movement, a glow of light appeared in front of them, emitting an entrance. It had no depth, but the door was large enough to fit even Appa. "Finally!" he shouted triumphantly. "I did it! Ha! Beat that Zuko!"

"Fine!" a voice from the forest snarled, an orb of fire suddenly shooting out at them.

"What?" The four of them turned, but there was no where; they were surrounded.

"You thought you could get away form me?" Zuko suddenly appeared from behind them, closely followed by Hiashi. "It wasn't hard to find you."

Hiashi coughed mockingly. He fiercely turned to her, his arm extended, striking her in the shoulder. "Damn it, don't you have any respect?" She didn't move, but she did look at him with a pained expression. "Anyways, before I was _rudely_ interrupted, you're not getting away- what is that?" he asked, pointing to the portal.

"Like we'd say anything to you!" Katara yelled at him.

"You're still not leaving!" he snarled, stepping forward in fighting stance, sending a rope of fire towards Aang. As soon as the first shot was fired, the others started to attack. There was nothing but attack after attack. It was the usual paring: Zuko fighting Aang, Tsuchi fighting her sister, and Sokka and Katara got the rest of them.

"You're not going to get away with this, Avatar!" Zuko growled mid-fight.

"I have a name!" Aang said within the sound.

"It won't matter when you're dead," he sneered, attempting to kick Aang onto the floor. But he failed when Aang send a wind current to him, also moving the ground to form a small bump, tripping him. Zuko fell on his arm, but jumped back up, sending a fist to Aang's jaw. He flew about two feet, into a tree. He hit it with a loud crash, but wasn't stopped. He quickly avoided the end of Zuko's sword, which soon embedded itself deep in the tree.

Hiashi was busying herself with her sister, quickly tossing her off to one of the crew members. She had another prey on her mind. While her prey had their back turned, she quickly sent a wave of fire towards them. "OW!" Sokka cried, as something hot hit his back.

"I discern that it was you," she whispered, "I'll find out how you did it!" She spun around, sending a back kick to his stomach. Sokka tried to block it, but he stumbled a bit, dropping the dagger. She went to try to pick it up, but the knife knew; it put up its shield, sending a bolt of magenta lightning at her hand. "Damn!" she mumbled, shaking off the pain.

"Ha!" Sokka laughed at her from the ground. "Don't even bother to try! You'll never be able to get it!"

She knew he was right. Quickly devising a sharp plan, she put it to the test. "You'd think you'd use it," she simpered, "instead of allowing me to finish you off. Weakling."

"I am NOT weak," Sokka yelled at her, jumping to his feet. He quickly dived for his blade. Hiashi dived after him, kicking him in the ribs.

"You're not getting it! You have a better chance of me falling over, dead." Sokka quickly rolled on his back, jumping on his feet.

"I usually don't hit girls, but I'll allow it this time." He drew out his boomerang, hurdling it at her. She jumped up, kicking it onto the floor in the direction of the penknife. Sparks flew, but it didn't seem to do any damage. She made a wry face, but didn't do anything. She quickly flipped around, sending her foot to his head. He blocked her off with his arms, pushing her to his side. But she landed like a cat, sending a wave under the ground. He kicked the air around her, but she grabbed his foot, twisting him around, causing him to do a flip. He fell hard on his back, stiffening him. Although, her was right next to his sword and his boomerang. He swiftly grabbed both of them, just in time because Hiashi's fist was coming right to him. He swung the bend of the boomerang around her wrist, sending her in a different direction, permitting himself to get up.

"Guys!" he shouted over to them. Katara, Aang and Tsuchi glanced over to him. "Let's go!" They didn't need to be told twice. They abandoned their station, running towards the portal, Appa and Momo already in.

"Don't let them get away!" Zuko snarled to the crew. They quickly sprang into action, attempting to stop them, but to no avail. They were through the hole, and it disappeared. "DAMN IT!" Zuko hollered into the night. "Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!" he repeated, striking the air, and at one point, a tree. "How the hell are we going to get them NOW?"

"Follow them," Hiashi said calmly from across from him.

"And how do you suppose we do THAT, Miz I-think-I-know-everything-because-my-vocabulary-is-gigantic?"

"Heh, 'gigantic,'" she laughed to herself. "Imitate their weapon that the Water Tribe Warrior had."

"And do you _know_ what's in it?" he snarled.

"No, but I'm sure that," she said, turning around, "_this_ shall facilitate us." She held up what was a shard or the knife. "This is all we necessitate."

'-'

The four of them were panting, trying to relax. In this world, there was nothing special. The most they could see was a forest along with a lake. They were at the base of a hill, leaving them out of view of the other side. In this world, the sun was up in the high point of the sky, signaling that it was mid-day. "Well," Sokka said after the midst of their wait, "that was interesting. Maybe they won't follow us."

"Let's just hope they don't figure out traveling through the worlds," Tsuchi sighed. "I doubt they will, though."

"I'm just tired and want to go to sleep," Katara yawned. "We've been up so long."

"I wonder how this world is," Aang chimed, looking around a bit. No sooner he say that, the four of them were ambushed. Blindfolds were put over them, pinned to the ground, their arms bound with an odd feeling rope.

"You are now apprehended," one said to them, sounding about sixteen. "Don't try to resist capture, for it will lead you into a deeper sentence."

'-'

I just finished watching the new episode (The Storm) and I nearly cried! I was all like, "Man that seriously sucks for Aang and Zuko!" I felt so bad, but now I know, which is good for me. Future chapters. NEHO, the fourteen year old Zuko, now THAT'S a different story! The first time I saw him I shouted, "OH MY GOSH, HE LOOKS LIKE ME!" I was so crept out! Just tint his hair brown, turn his skin tone down two shade and give him brown eyes, and I'm animated! That's WAAAAAAY too creepy! That's- that's just weird! EW! Freaky! I'm leaving before I creep myself out some more. Signing Off!


	13. New world and bad times

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: Yeah, I was building a closet today! Actually, it's been an ongoing project. Well, at least I get to use a saw! And the contest is still up. Until they exit this world is the deadline.I don't know when that will be, but it's not anytime soon.

**Blackened-fire**: I'm a girl, which is why it frightened me so much! EW! I'm gonna look like HIM when I'm 14! EWWWW! That's just creepy! I have goose bumps because I'm creeped out so much! (Shutters). Well, thank you for being the only person to give me SOME kind of world idea.

**Everto Angelus**: Aw! No one's called me a literary genius before! More like a smart crazy person. I'd like to thank Mrs. Canino, the nice people who invented the thesaurus, the people who permitted me into the G. A. T. E program, and my own behavior eccentricities and glitches! Eh, I'll shut up.

Chapter thirteen: New world and bad times

'-'

"Who are you?" Sokka yelled out in the blackness.

"Take these blindfolds off!" Katara added.

"Remove the blindfolds," the teen ordered. The sound of footsteps neared them, standing in back of them. Several pulled the covers off, revealing who had attacked them. "State your business!" the teen barked at them. He was tall, about sixteen or seventeen with blond hair. His hair was like Sokka's, only it was braided and pulled back. His eyes were a deep blue, and he had an emerald cloak on. "I'll only repeat myself once more!" he said a bit louder. "State your business, or I'll be forced to put you four in jail!" The village was behind him, an estimate of about 200.

"We don't mean any harm!" Aang pleaded. "We're just passing through!"

"You could be one of Them!" one of the officers said from behind. "How do we know you don't mean harm?" She stepped in front of them, walking down with the rest. Each one got a good look at their attacker. Aang was attacked by the blond haired teen that did most of the talking. Katara was attacked by a blond haired girl with violet eyes who wore a black cloak. Tsuchi was attacked by a guy, tall, very deep skin tone, and wore a dark blue cloak. Sokka, he was attacked by two. It was the girl who had spoke earlier. She had jet black hair pulled back neatly into a ponytail. Her eyes were a dark red, almost brown, and she wore a navy colored cloak, while the guy who was following her was just about taller than her, having the same skin tone as Katara and Sokka. He had dark brown eyes, and he wore a dark grey cloak.

"Who are Them?" Tsuchi dared to ask.

"Don't play games with us!" the blond haired guy sneered. "Why the hell were you at the foot of the mountain, fighting with some people. You're obviously hunted somewhere!"

"I am," Aang admitted, "but not for a good reason."

"Not for a good reason?" the blond haired girl laughed. "Why is it not a good reason?"

"See," he started, "I'm the Avatar." Everyone looked at each other, and then a wave of laughter went over them.

"What the hell is an 'Avatar?'" the brown haired guy laughed.

"Aang," Tsuchi whispered to him, "you have to remember that this is a different planet!"

"Oh, yeah," he said sheepishly. "Uh, it's kind of hard to explain."

"Hard to explain or not," the blond haired guy said to them, "you better give us a good reason not to throw you in jail."

"Those people are evil!" Katara said to them. "They're not after us because they want to arrest us for some crime!"

"Yeah, they're just crazy!" Sokka added.

"How do we know that for sure?" the guy in the dark blue cloak asked. Tsuchi thought for a moment.

"Aang," she whispered lowly, "they have us tied up with rope. Maybe we can burn through them."

"Good idea," he whispered back to her.

Heating her hands up, she tried to burn through the rope. But it worked to no avail. "What's up with this rope?" Tsuchi asked them. "Uh, it feels all weird-like."

"It's fire-proof!" the blond guy said proudly. "Any kind of element can't destroy it. Practically imperishable."

The four of them exchanged glances. "Why?" they asked in unison.

"So that no one can get out," the black haired girl stated bluntly.

"So…"

"No aerokinetics, pyrokinetics, hydrokinetics, or terrakinetics," the main one answered.

"So," Aang said to them slyly, "can those people you were talking about earlier do all of that?"

"No," he answered, "the damn group didn't want to."

"Well, because if you're talking about what I think you're talking about, then I can do the same thing." The group of people looked at each other.

"Let's see you prove it," he challenged. "Chana, Osric, Marcellus, Astrid, unbind them." The group of people went to undo the rope. Once the ropes were removed, the four of them rubbed their pained wrist, then they turned to the crowd. "You claim to know, go ahead." The crowd waited.

"Well, I can't just do something if I don't know what to do," Aang quietly said.

The head guy looked around. "See that patch of earth over there," he said, nodding his head into the direction of a clear patch of land, "make a hill."

Aang looked at his friends, giving him a nod to proceed. "Alright," he sighed. Preparing himself, the dirt from underneath shot up, creating a hill of about eight feet. The crowd began to murmur.

"Very well," the leader muttered. "Could use a bit more drying up, but you've passed."

"Now wait just a minute!" a voice hollered from the crowd.

"Great!" he sighed. He turned to face the crowd when a person emerged. It was a guy about the blond guy's age, about his height. But he had black hair sleeked back, and his eyes were grey. His cloak was black, making his skin tone look pallid.

"Why are you letting them go?" the black haired guy snarled. "This could all be a hoax!"

"Claudius, no one asked for your opinion!" the guy snapped.

"Well, you'd think that the head of the army would make better decisions!"

"I haven't made a decision!" he shouted defensively.

"Then what are you doing?"

"Claudius, go away, I can handle this!"

"If you ask me, you should have them in jail for a sentence of ten years."

"No one asked you, Claudius!" the girl with the black hair snarled.

"Chana, stay the hell out of this!" the one called Claudius snapped. "Areki here needs to learn a thing or two!"

"Alright!" he interrupted. "First off, it's pronounced 'Arekin!' Second off, you're not in the army, so shut up! Third off, no one asked for your opinion!"

"If this is too much trouble," Aang said in their conversation, "we could just leave."

"You can stay for a while," Arekin said before Claudius could speak.

"Jir-wha?" Claudius hollered.

"Over here," Arekin said to his group. They came together, forming a circle. "Claudius, go away, I need to talk to them." Claudius made a dry face, but walked a few feet away.

"What is it?" the blond haired girl asked.

"I don't trust these people myself," he confessed, "so we'll watch them in intervals. Watch for any sort of eccentric behavior. Anything tiny, tell me. We'll immediately get rid of them."

"Who will watch them first?" the one in the blue cloak asked.

"Well," Arekin started, "Astrid can take them for the first part," pointing to the blond haired girl. "Then Chana and Osric can take them for another part," pointing to the black haired girl and the guy that was working with her. "Then Marcellus can take them next," he said pointing to the guy who asked the question. "Then I'll take them for the rest of the day. As far as I'm concerned, they can't get away with something if they don't know we're watching, so try to stay hidden. Are we clear?" The four of them nodded, then released themselves from the circle. "We've come for a decision," he announced to the crowd, including the four of them. "We will allow them to stay for a while. They don't seem to be a threat to us."

"WHAT?" Claudius yelled, dumbfounded. "You can't be serious you-you- why the hell are you letting them stay?"

"They don't seem to be a threat!" Arekin barked at him. "If you have a problem, then you can leave." Claudius narrowed his eyes, but was left speechless.

"You're a real bastard, you know that?" he snarled.

"I know," he smiled. "There's nothing else to see here folks!" he shouted over the crowd. "You may go back to work, or to whatever you were doing." A murmur went over the crowd, but people slowly went back to their lives, moving back into the town. Arekin sighed deeply, resting his head in his hand. "Sometimes I wish he'd leave for good!"

"Calm down, sir," the one called Chana said to him. Arekin lifted his head, and looked at them.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, "I haven't properly introduced us. My name is Arekin, Commander of the Enzansoshi Elite Defense Force. This is my co-Commander, Chana, First-hand Marcellus, Private Astrid, and the apprentice, Osric." Osric sighed, drooping his shoulders a bit, but he was smiling seconds later.

"I'm Aang," Aang started, "and this is Katara, Sokka, and Tsuchi," pointing to every one of them.

"You performed a very faulty wave earlier," he noted. "You better fix it."

"Yeah," Aang muttered, embarrassed.

"Is terrakinetics all you can do?" he questioned him.

"No," he smiled, finally happy about something, "I know a lot of all of them, especially airbending."

"Well, aerokinetics is best to learn. I as well, know all of them."

"You do?" Aang said with excitement. "Maybe you can teach me!"

"Slow down!" he halted him. "I've just met the four of you, and I don't even know if I can trust you."

"Sorry," he said quietly.

"I can try," Chana offered. "I don't know aerokinetics, but I know pyrokinetics and terrakinetics."

"Hey," Tsuchi spoke up, "if anyone is teaching him fire and earth, it's going to be me."

"Look, guys, I don't want to cause any problems," Aang tried to mediate.

"There won't be any problems," Arekin said deeply. "Chana, I thank you for your offer, but your services will not be needed." Chana nodded, and he gave her an invisible smile. "I'll show them around the town. Follow me." He turned on his heel, walking towards the front of the town. Are you coming?"

'-'

She wasn't sure how long she was working on the shard. She hoped for a bigger piece, but she had to work with what she had. She wiped sweat from her forehead, moaning. "Damn, this is harder than I would have expected." All the test she had put the metal through, she was only able to identify three metals in the knife and their percentages. She was up the whole night; the sun was now in the noon. Yet, she was inside, where it was dark and cold, still trying to figure out the last percentage of the composition. She turned away from her table, leaving the acids, solvents and everything else she was working with, and sat down at a chair across the room.

"I could really use some help, or at least the atomic structure of that last metal. I've tested it for every other one, but I can't seem to get the compound's name. It's times like this that I can't believe I just might need Zuko." She shuttered at the very idea. "You can do this," she assured herself. She rubbed her lower back, for it spontaneously started to sting.

_"Damn it, Enjou, I will give you ten seconds before you die on the spot you stand in."_

_"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU MONSTER!"_

_"You damn mud blood! Do you want your mommy? Oh that's right! The whore's dead! I can't believe you lied to us! You can't do anything! No one wants you!"_

_"Here it is. It should help you. Are you sure you want to go through with it? I think you're fine the way you are."_

_"I need to do this. It's the only way to get out of this hell."_

_"The heat will weaken it, so do not expose it for about two months."_

_"You're so pretty; it's a shame I have to kill you."_

_"Fuck, dammit! Admiral! Let's get out of here! It's way too dangerous!"_

_"Fair! I'm already done with this one over here."_

"What are you doing?" a voice called her back from her trance.

"What?" she jumped up, startled by the sudden interruption. She turned around to see Zuko standing behind her. "Oh, it's just you."

"Why aren't you working on the sword?" he barked at her.

"You try figuring out what has an ionic charge of negative 2 or 3!" she snapped suddenly. "Damn it, I'm endeavoring and you're no benefit with this ragging on me to hasten up! I don't see you down here laboring assiduously to find the structure of the sword! Do you want to do this? I'd like to see you figure out the last element! No one's faultless, alright? Sometimes we just need to reflect before we take action, so unless you can do a better job, let me relax, okay?" He was silent, actually surprised by her sudden outburst. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. She hit her head with the tips of her fingers, resting her forehead in them. "Words can't heal, only hurt."

"You're lucky you're working on the sword," he said to her, "otherwise, I would have hurt you so bad-."

"I said I was sorry, alright!" she cried at him, looking up to talk to him directly. "I understand my act of contrition won't help. Words are useless! They're just there! Mankind just uses them for communication. They can't ameliorate anything! 'Sorry' won't obliterate what I said and I'm absurd to think that it will fix anything."

"Damn it, what the hell is wrong with you?" he nearly shouted, freaked out by her sudden mood change. Hiashi buried her head in her arms.

"I need air, is all," she murmured, moving past him, out the door. He stood rooted in his spot, still confused as to what caused her sudden hallucination. He shook his head and walked over to the desk. Her notes remained on the table, her cursive jotted down with some notes:

_-Copper: 33-_

_-Cobalt- Iron: 33-_

_Iron, Copper, Silver: 33_

_: 1_

_Atomic #: 7 or 8_

_Atomic mass: 14.01, 16.00_

_Ionic charge: 2-, 3-_

"What is half of this stuff?" He questioned himself. Looking at it, it was easy to see why she might have had a break down.

'-'

Just to let you guys know ahead of time, there might be a Mary-Sue in the next chapter. Or I like to refer to them in anime, May-Lins. But I'm sure you'll fall in love with the lil' girl. Yes, she's just a _perfect_ little angel. I'm trying to put drama in the story. So now you know. In a different direction, for some reason, I can't get the new episode of Avatar out of my head. It seriously sucks! I am so sad to know that all of that happened to Aang and Zuko. Man, this is terribly vexing me! I'm leaving to dream about the stupid depressing episode now. It's midnight. Signing Off!

(Note: the stuff with the --(dashes) were crossed out by her, just to let you know.


	14. Angelic understanding

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: YAAAAAAAAAAY! FINALS ARE OVER! TAKE THIS YOU UNITED STATES EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM!

People, might you enter the contest? Only one has so far. And I'm not sure if that was out of the blue. I think it wasn't. Too bad blackened-fire can't give me any ideas. Don't worry; I felt the same way when I did my book report on my own story. I thought I was going to get shot. Well, NEHO, on with the fic!

Chapter fourteen: Angelic understanding

'-'

The village was bustling with people selling, buying, bartering, gossiping, and children running around with each other. The town seemed alive with people. The four of them followed Arekin in the quiet walk. He didn't seem to be the one to talk if it wasn't necessary. He seemed like the nicer version of Zuko. "So," Aang started, "what do you guys do around here?"

"I wouldn't know," he said plainly. Aang scratched the back of his head. "If you need anything," he started, "the market is right there. You can pay with cash or you can trade. You do have something to pay with, right?"

"Yeah," Katara answered, "but nothing you'd be familiar with."

"And why wouldn't I be familiar with it," he asked, confused.

"It's sort of difficult to explain," Sokka mumbled.

"I can't understand it if you don't explain," he said to them. "So you better speak up."

The four of them sighed. "Alright," Aang frowned, "well, we're not exactly from this world." Arekin stared at them, still confused. "See, we found this sword," Sokka showing him the knife they found, "which allows us to travel from world to world."

Katara intervened, "We weren't exactly trying to choose where we were going-."

"Just anywhere away from Zuko and that girl that works with him," Aang finished.

"What's a Zuko?" Arekin asked them, still confused.

"The guy you _might_ have seen us fighting," Tsuchi answered.

"Wait, is he the one with that hideous scar on his face?"

The three nodded.

"Doesn't seem like a very friendly person, but I didn't see anyone else but a few other guys."

"Well," Aang continued, "in that world, we also have element bending, but right now, we're at war."

"Wow that sucks."

"And I'm the Avatar."

"Like Osric said before: What the hell is an Avatar?"

"It's confusing," Aang explained, "See, the four nations are divided, and so to keep them in peace, there's one person who is master of all four. They kind of go down from each nation, first air, then water, earth, and last fire. But see, now the Fire Nation is attacking everyone. We already lost…"

"The Air Nomads," Katara finished for him. She knew he didn't want to say it.

"That seriously sucks. And to Aang, I'm sorry. I assume that you were an aerokinetic?"

"BROTHER!" a high pitched voice echoed from behind them. A pink and black blur came shooting at Arekin, knocking himfoward a few feet.

"Melek, why are you here?" he asked the bundle. Not much was seen but that the child was wearing a black cloak with a hint of pink, and had a head full of gold locks of curly hair. He held the little girl at arm's length, showing who she was.

She was just plain out adorable. Her eyes were a radiant blue, glowing with the help from the sun. Her face was rosy, flawless, and perfect. She wore a collared shirt, a dark pink, with a skirt, dark grey. She had boots that went a little past her ankles, black also. All in all, she looked like an angel.

"This," Arekin started, "is my little sister, Melek. Melek, they are…"

"Aang."

"Katara."

"Sokka."

"Tsuchi."

"Hi," Melek smiled, her voice warming their hearts. She smiled brightly at the four of them, looking from one to the other.

"You didn't answer my question," he said to her again, "why are you here?"

"Because I wanted to see you," she frowned, yet she was still adorable. "I heard malicious things from that Claudius."

"Melek," he said to her, kneeling down to her height, "you know how he is."

"Still," she shrugged, "I wanted to see them for myself." She grinned, revealing she was missing a tooth.

"Wow," Tsuchi said to her, "lost your first tooth?"

"Actually," Arekin answered for her," her third."

"And another coming," she said cheerfully, wiggling a front tooth with her tongue. (O-o)

Sokka's face twisted up. "That's gross."

"She's just a child," Katara whispered to him.

"That's still gross."

Aang started to talk to her. "So, how old are you?" he asked.

"I'm almost eight," she smiled happily. "I will be in a few days. Like about…" She stalled, counting on her hands.

"About-."

"Fifteen days," the two said in unison. She giggled, but he just smirked.

"Why don't you go on ahead," he said to her, clearly trying to get rid of her. It didn't seem as if he was embarrassed by her. On the contrary, he seemed to be happier that she was there. Maybe he didn't trust them still. That was probably it.

The little girl frowned, but turned it upside down, and skipped her way across the crowd. Once she was out of ear shot, Katara said, "She's so cute!"

"Yeah," Arekin smiled. "She's quite the angel around here. It'd be easier to count who _doesn't_ like her."

"Who doesn't?" Sokka asked him.

"Who else?" he laughed. "That damn Claudius. 'Course, he doesn't really like anyone in this town. 'Cept for Astrid. Then again, she doesn't like him. She thinks he's a pig."

"Faa-aasinating," Sokka rolled his eyes.

"How long do you think you will be staying?" he asked suddenly.

"Well," Aang started.

"Until I figure out the plot," Tsuchi answered. "I need to calculate when and where our path will be."

"How do you suppose we do that?" Sokka asked her skeptically.

"I don't know, but I'll figure out something."

"If you need some astrological papers, the army might have some." The four of them looked at him. "Well, we need to map out times that everyone can match up to, so no one is off plan. It's easier." They shrugged.

"I think that they might help," Tsuchi smiled.

"Here, I'll show you." He allowed her to move in front of her, and walked her towards the opposite direction.

"What do you think they'll do?" Katara asked.

"Want to look around?" Aang asked them.

"As long as I don't have to stand here all day, let's go," Sokka answered, walking ahead.

'-'

"I don't like the looks of that," the old lady grumbled. "It doesn't look right." Since their last day in their world, they had already lost all of their food from the encounter with Zuko. Stocking up was going to be hard since they had no money. Katara, who wasn't even happy herself with what she was choosing: some weird shaped nuts that were a goldish color, some fruits that were a radiant red, along with some rice like food, was wondering whether she should ask for help from someone. But since again, they didn't have anything to pay with, bartering wasn't as good. The old lady eyed the small trinket that Katara had found somewhere in Omashu. "You might be duping me. Aft'r all, you ain't from these parts."

"Ma'am, I'm not trying to trick you," Katara assured. "It's really pretty, and I'm sure it's enough to pay for this."

"If it's so pretty, then why are you trading it to me?" she questioned her. The old lady's eye twitched. The lady smiled and started to laugh. "I like you, so I'll give it to you. My husband isn't here, so it's not like he'll care." Katara sighed mentally.

"Thank you," she said gratefully. She picked up the basket she had and walked it over to Appa. She put the heavy basket on the floor and looked for signs of either Aang or Sokka. Aang was nowhere to be seen, but Sokka was in clear sight talking to some girls. "What is he doing?" she muttered.

"So you're not from this world?" a shoulder-length red head girl with a brown cloak on asked, apparently not that interested, finding the scarce amount of dirt under her finger nails much more intertaining. "Interesting."

"Well, I was the best warrior in my village," he bragged.

"Then what happened?" a girl with curly brown hair and a black cloak happened, obviously engrossed with his story.

"Well, then I had to leave. I was trying to help a fellow friend of mine save our planet from certain destruction. See, firebenders are slaughtering everyone."

The two girls looked at each other and began to laugh.

"Oh, yeah, pyrokinetics are so evil!" the red-head mocked, forming a small fire drop in her hand.

"Well, where I'm from, they are!" Sokka said in defense.

"Sure, right," the brown-head nodded, obviously not believing his story.

"Leave it up to a girl not to believe me," he mumbled under his breath.

"What?" the red-head questioned. She was clearly angered.

"I didn't say anything," he lied terribly.

"You should be thrown in jail for such a caustic and prejudice comment!" she snapped. "I'm not sure if anyone's told you, but we're equal, and I don't know about your world, but that gives us the right to do this. Sana?"

He hadn't realized, but the girl with brown hair was behind him. She kicked him in the back of the knee hard enough to send him down on the floor.

"You misogynist bastard!" the brown-haired sneered. The two walked off, giggling. People on the street didn't stop; they kept walking, either not surprised at him being kick to the floor by two girls or they didn't see him at all. Katara walked over to her brother.

"What did I tell you?" she said with an I-told-you-so sort of voice, helping him to his feet.

"I didn't do anything!" he said to her, dusting himself off. "They just don't like me."

"Or you said something that obviously made them mad."

"I didn't!" He shook his head. He looked around, and then asked: "How long are we going to stay here?"

"I don't know. Until Tsuchi can figure out something. Have you seen Aang?" The two looked around.

"More tricks Aang!" a small child chimed from a few yards away.

"Well, at least we know what he's doing," Katara sighed.

'-'

The wind whipped wistfully against her face. The water roared out, calling to lonely souls. She stared as the waves moved across the ocean. She sighed deeply.

_Why is this happening to me? Why must I be plagued with such horrid memories? I hate it! Everyone stays as much as I wish they could leave. Mother, father… then there's Sureiyaa with the others, Kyyoku, that bastard who- damn, I don't want to think about _him_! Why does my memory not allow me to forget? I wish Zuko could have killed be a long time ago. It's times like this I wish I stayed lost… _

"Is everything okay?" a voice asked from behind her. It was Iroh. Of all of the people on the ship, he seemed to be the only person who cared for her. Why was he still putting up with Zuko?

"I'll be fine," she muttered, still looking into the ocean. She had made a fool of herself in front of Zuko, she was being haunted of memories of her past, and her back hurt terribly. What else was there to say? But she couldn't tell him that. She still needed to get the chemical composition of the knife. It seemed impossible of her two choices of elements. The two made a poisonous gas.

"You seemed troubled, Young Hiashi. Are you sure?"

No one had ever called her by her name other than her father and… someone else. "I'll be fine. I-I just needed air, is all."

"If my nephew is giving you a hard time, do not listen to him. He just doesn't understand how you feel."

"He does understand," she said to him, "he just refuses to care. You can't blame him." Why was she standing up for him? "I mean, the guy was humiliated in front of his nation. So was my father, and I hated him. I hate Zuko too, but I can't wish my enemies pain. Maybe he just refuses to carebecause it's easier to put up blinders and shut everything out than to accept them and to be tainted with something you wish you never saw. All he wants is to go home. At least _he_ should." She sighed. "Unlike me, I have no where I can call home. Everyone in Engoku wanted me dead, everyone in the Fire Nation wants me dead, I'm not a waterbender, and the Earth Kingdom would surly be upset if they found out everything I've done." Iroh stayed quiet. The only sound was of the water hitting the side of the boat.

"You seem to be the only person who understands him," he smiled. "It is very noble that you don't wish any pain on him."

"Yeah, I'll bet he's wishing something on me for not finishing the composition." She looked back into the water. It was breezy, the cold biting at her.

The cold biting at her…

_Wait… I messed up on something. The ionic charge wasn't a negative… it was a _positive_! That changes the problem around! I knew it wasn't Oxygen and Nitrogen! I was wrong with the calculation!_ She jumped to her feet and ran pasted Iroh, into the ship. Along her way, she ran into someone-.

"Damn it wench!" Zuko snarled. "Watch where you're going!"

"I got the calculations wrong!" she said to him quickly.

"So?"

"That means there's another option! I think I have it!" She shoved past him and ran back to her room. He was still in his same spot, confused, but he followed her anyways. She was already there, scribbling across the paper, numbers, complicated math problems, and short hand.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, shaking his head.

"It wasn't like I thought," she answered him. "I was thinking that it might have been Oxygen and Nitrogen, but it wasn't! It was something totally different!"

"Then what was it?" he asked again, now exasperated with her mood.

She finished up the problem she was solving, then she looked on a chart. "It's Cobalt. And it can only be found in the Western Air Temples."

'-'

Ooo, there's a little twist. So the Resistance is wrong about their master's sword! Aha, losers!

(Hiashi): but you createdall of us, so it's pointless to be calling them losers.

(Me): Shut your noise tube!

(H): noise tube. I should use that.

Well, NEHO, I went to Knott's today (6-10) and it was so much fun! I got me a bracelet with my pen name, so if NE1 lives in SoCal, I'm wearing a halfatheory leather band! The best part was that even though it was with the school, it was just me and my friends! Yeah, we got to go wander around the park by ourselves during a SCHOOL trip! So cool. And I was scanning through our library of saved music, and I came across a song from the play/book, "Wicked." The strange thing was that I was listening to the words and the lyrics totally matched Zuko and Hiashi's relationship right now!

Loathing…unadulterated loathing… for your face, (your voice), your clothing. Let's just say I loath it all! Every little trait however small, makes my very flesh begin to crawl with simple aver loathing. There's a strange exhilaration, in such total detestation; it's so pure, so strong! Though I do admit, it came on fast; still I do believe that it can last. And I will be loathing (loathing) you my whole life long! Sorry for the Broadway show tunes. I'm going to look for the lyrics. Until next time peeps, Signing Off!


	15. Deadly warning

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: Now that summer's here, I expect everyone who hasn't updated in a long time will update? Eh, I have too much hope in people. Well, on with the fic!

**YoungGrasshopper7**: Wait, do you mean a lesson to you or me? Either way, thanks for the review.

**Warning to everyone:** Just to let you guys know, since right now the Zu crew and the Aang gang (ah, that's hilarious! Zu, so stupid!) are in different worlds, the days will be in a different pattern. So I might make it a couple of days where Aang is, and it's only been a few hours where Zuko is. Just so you know when I have something happen in a matter of a few days and your questioning how that's possible since only one day has past with Zuko.

Chapter fifteen: Deadly warning

'-'(You know what? It'll add more drama to have the Zuko gang come first.)

"So why are we going so dangerously close to Fire Nation waters again?" Zuko asked, and even though he chose not to show it, or let it sound in his voice, his eyes told the whole story: he didn't want to be here.

"Stay calm," Hiashi reassured him. "Once we have the metal we need, we can leave as soon as possible. You can't be here as much as I can't, so we can't undertake every odd that might be lingering around. Stop here!" she ordered. The boat came to a slow halt, taking a few seconds for it to stabilize. She walked out of the boat, over to the ledge. She took her jacket off, and removed her shoes. Glaciers covered almost any sight; a light blanket of mist covered the surface.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked her, wondering why she was out here in seven degree weather. He felt the cold, hitting him down to the bone, and he had more layers than she did.

"Something spontaneous," she answered him. She swung one leg over the ledge, then another, then without a second to think, she jumped in.

"WHAT THE HELL?" he snarled loudly. "GET THAT IDIOT OUT OF THERE!"

She wasn't about to get out. The cold numbed her, losing all feeling in her arm. But she ignored it. _It's here somewhere…_ A small cave soon came into her view. She swam toward the entrance, looking into the fantastic sight. Lucky for her, there was an air pocket, allowing her to stand up. The air was so pure, cold and salty, but pure. The walls were covered with the black-grey metal, reflecting with no light. "No use stalling," she said to herself. Preparing herself, she 'bended' out a piece about the size of her fist. Tossing it up in the air, she caught it, shoved it in her pocket, and without a second thought, she got back into the water, preparing for the worst from Zuko.

'-'

"What the hell were you thinking?" he growled at her after his crew had gotten her out. Her hair was dripping, entirely drenched. Her skin was much paler than her usual pallid skin tone, making all of her scratches and bruises (which was quite a lot) much more noticeable, but she showed no sign of being even remotely cold. She wrung her hair out, creating a puddle by her feet, picked up her jacket, pulled it on, not even bothering to button it up, slipped her shoes back on, reached into her pocket, and removed the metal she retrieved, tossing it to one of the crew members.

"Here," she said to him, "take this and the other three metals we got and make a knife. Seven inches to the blade, no larger, no smaller. That'll be the core. Makes sure you don't screw up, or it won't work." She started to walk off when Zuko started to speak.

"You think you know someone, then they do something stupid like jumping into subzero waters."

She stopped and turned to look at him, her wet hair whipping around, splashing Zuko a bit with the icy water. She walked over to him, looked him dead in the eye and said bluntly: "Don't you even _dare_ state you know me! There are affairs that I haven't advised you of not even my _father_ were familiar with! I confess that there are things that I don't know about you, but I don't attempt to presuppose things. So don't go about believing you know me. The things I've done and that have happened to me are enough to astound _anyone_!" She turned on her heel and walked away.

"What was that about?" he asked Iroh, who was the only one left.

"She makes a point, nephew," he answered him. "There are things that _I_ don't even know about _you_. You can't go assuming."

"What are you talking about?" he said to him. "What can _she_ be hiding? It's not like she has any secrets. It's not like anything _that_ bad has happened to her!"

"Have you bothered to ask her?"

"Why would I want to know? It's probably pointless and stupid. Something like, 'oh, yeah, my damn rat got fat once,'" he mocked in a high-pitched voice. "Not like he isn't already."

Iroh started to laugh. "Never do that. You are terrible at trying to copy her voice."

"I wasn't trying to be good at it!" he snapped. He shook his head. "I'm leaving. Don't bother me."

'-'

As the day's sun soon set, the town that was once busy with people was now nothing but a ghost town. It had been at least three days before they were trusted by _anyone_. They weren't sure if the army knew, but the four of them knew that they were being watched by someone different everyday. It wasn't until yesterday that they finally gave up on trying to prove them a threat. This wasn't so good with Claudius who had been trying to run them out of town since their arrival. But it seemed as if he gave up too. Now it was only vicious glares and a caustic comment here and there. To their luck, Arekin reluctantly agreed to train Katara and Aang on the basics of waterbending, or in the Enzansoshi's terms, 'hydrokinetics.' What a better name for the elements. Of course, they were unaware as to when their training was. Just to their surprise, it was soon.

"Oi," Arekin called to the two of them as they were talking to Melek. The sun was off in the distance and the night sky was sprouting. "If you want to learn anything before you leave, you better hurry."

"But brother," Melek said sadly, "it's late. And why don't you teach me anything about hydrokinetics _or_ pyrokinetics?"

"I told you, once you're ten," he said to her candidly. She smiled weakly.

"Yes, brother. Well, I'll go home. Bye Katara. I'll talk to you later, Aang." And with one last grin, she skipped away towards home.

"Well," Arekin said impatiently, "are you coming?"

The two of them followed him into the dark forest that had resided next to the town. "Are you sure that now would be a good time to train with water?" Katara asked, a hint of fear in her voice. "It's very hard to see."

"The winds are calm right now," he answered bluntly. "And besides, as long as my soldiers can stand in the dark without becoming fearful, then they've conquered their fear of someone always watching them."

"Interesting technique," Aang praised, still a bit confused. "Does your family know about it?"

"Of course they do," he said. "My father is in the highest rank in the division. All across this division, there is a head army. I just run the town. He controls all of this side of the continent." He said all of this with such pride.

"Wow, is your whole family made up of soldiers?" Katara asked him.

"Used to be," he answered. "My mother was apart of it. But then she got married to my father. It was a hard decision, but they voted on it. She knew that my father had a higher rank, so it wouldn't cause any harm if she slipped out. Melek wants to become commander of the village some day."

"Can she do that?" Aang asked.

"I don't see why not," he shrugged. "It'd be a first."

"Would she be the first girl to run the army?" Katara asked him.

"No," he laughed, as if she was talking blasphemous. "Girls have run the army times before. I don't know about where you come from, but as long as someone can do the job, there's no reason to judge. She'd just be the first person to follow in the footsteps of her family. It's usually children following their parents, but nowhere has it been written that a whole _family_ has been in the army at one point. She's practicing, and as long as she can master all four elements, then she's in the clearing. Even though she only knows two, she's a fast learner."

"Your sister is so nice," Aang commented.

"She is. Always putting everyone else's wellbeing before hers. If anyone deserves the spot, it's her. There were times when it was noticeable that she was unhappy, but she denied it, saying that as long as we were happy. She's cared for everything breathing; at one point when she was younger, she didn't walk on the grass, in fear she was killing it! Everyone loves her. She also knows the right decisions. Hate to admit, but a lot of people, including my father and I go to her for help. She's very precocious. I know she'll do a good job. And I know she'll know who They are when they come."

"Who are They?" Katara asked, still unaware as to whom 'They' were. Arekin stopped, Aang almost running into him.

"It's a long story," he said quietly.

"Has it evolved over the years?" Aang asked, for the last time that happened he had to make up a story.

"No, but it's stupid." He sighed. He picked up his pace and continued to walk. "If you must know.

"It started about two hundred years ago. Our tribe was crossing over here, looking for fresh land to construct a settlement. We weren't looking for any trouble. Along the way, the Commander of the army at the time, Kia, was approached by another tribe, also walking along the same trail. They figured there was no harm as to letting them come along.

"Once they reached the wide spread of land, Kia told them it might have been best if they had separate villages. It was more along the line that she was thinking of her people's wellbeing. But the others took it as an insult. They made their settlement, but not on a happy note. Pretty soon, some were stealing from us, and some of us were stealing from them. Fights broke out between the two of us.

"Kia figured that it had gone too far. So she went to the Commander of the other and stated that either they made a peace treaty or she was going to arrest anyone from that village that stepped foot in ours without a good reason for being there. The Commander took that as another insult, and commanded that she moved her people or they would. She told them she wasn't leaving, considering she didn't have to let them come with us. With that, the commander declared war on us. They moved across the forest, and we hadn't seen them until recently. They have been setting bombs off in the forest, setting off fires, but no one has been hurt. It won't be long until they finally kill someone."

"So, it's basically both tribes' faults?" Katara asked cautiously.

"It was a lack of understandment," he answered. "If only Kia had explained her reasons to the other Commander. And if he hadn't have gotten so mad, maybe we wouldn't be in this quandary. We're here." He stopped by the lake they had seen the first day they arrived. People were already gathered there.

"Arekin, what took so long?" Astrid asked, releasing a yawn. "We arrived the time you told us."

"I had to get them," he replied, pointing at Katara and Aang.

"They're staying?" Marcellus asked flabbergasted. "But I thought this was training for the army _only_?"

"Just think of it this way: if we send out another two with knowledge of hydrokinetics, then we have someone who can help us when They attack. Agree?"

"It's not like we'll need help," Chana said. "I mean, we already have the West Region Armed Forces on our side."

"We'll the more the better, right?" He shrugged. "Why don't we get started before I leave you all here."

The training wasn't as difficult as they would assume it would be. It started of sitting and meditating in the dark, which by the way, was quite scary. They had no light, and no way for them to know where each other were. Arekin said it helped his soldiers to use senses other than sight. It made sense. As the night tolled on, they went on, practicing basic maneuvers, improving what they knew and fixing what they didn't. As the moon reached the midway point, it was clear that the seemingly flawless training wouldn't stay that way.

"Hey, Areki!" a voice echoed in the forest.

"Great," Arekin sighed heavily. The group turned to see Claudius walking through the shrubbery. He had a malicious grin on, happy to see Arekin's angered expression. But he was soon stopped in his tracks once he laid eyes on Aang and Katara. His attitude turned from being happy, to frowning.

"What are _they_ doing here?" Claudius shouted, jabbing his finger in their direction. "I thought this was _private_ training? Not 'come here and I'll show you some secret moves' training! What kind of a wit Commander are you?"

"Look," Arekin said huffily, "I'm the Commander and I make the calls! So shut up and leave, you hypocrite! "

"Why the hell am I a hypocrite?" he asked in sarcastic surprise.

"You complain to me that I'm allowing them here in a private session while you're here breaking an entry! Why are you even here? Go away!"

"Yeah, Claudius!" Chana sneered from behind. "Get the hell out of here!"

"Stay out of this, you bastard!" he snapped at her.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Arekin barked at him. "Have more respect for my co-Commander!"

"What kind of a moron allows a chick be his co-Commander? That one with the funky dagger has _his_ priorities straight!"

"What the hell did you just say?" Astrid snarled.

"What? I didn't mean _you_," he said innocently.

"Get the hell out of here!" Arekin repeated.

"If I had been made Commander of the army, things'd be different! Waay different!"

"But you lost!" Arekin smirked. "That was your fault for being lazy! You didn't want to learn the rest of the elements and you paid heavily. That was all on you."

"You jack ass!" Claudius snarled. "You suck at this job! More elements or not, I would have done a better job than you! You screwed this whole village over, and they'll pay for your mistakes! They're dangerous, Areki! You don't know what they can bring!"

"We're going to leave!" Katara intervened. Claudius, who was in a pit of rage, shot a firework of flames in their direction. Marcellus blocked it with his terrakinetics, but the damage was still done.

"Damn it, leave them out of this!" Arekin yelled at him.

"They're the reason I'm so pissed off at you!" he said defensively. "Why won't you get that through your thick head? You're not always right!"

"Well, neither are you!" Arekin said bluntly. "I'm the head of the army and you're not. You had your chance! You completely failed because you were indolent! That was your fault for carrying this for two years!"

"You're going to tear this town to the dirt, Arekin," he said quietly. "And when you do, I'm going to laugh. I'll laugh so hard."

"If I do, then I'm taking you down with me," he said solidly. "I'm the Commander of this town and whatever I say goes. Now unless you can prove otherwise, then I suggest you get the hell out of here. There is _no_ reason for you to be **barking** orders when I'm _clearly_ the leader here! You can't go and start making calls when you have no authority to do so. So go home! This is none of your business!"

Claudius looked from each of them, all giving him different looks. Arekin's look was of pure hatred; Chana's was anger after what he had said earlier; Osric had a you're-out-of-luck expression; Astrid looked disgusted; Marcellus shook his head; Katara and Aang on the other hand, both were kind of confused by the whole ordeal. Even though Arekin tried so hard to keep them out of the argument, they should have dealt with it. Claudius frowned and narrowed his eyes. "You're going to regret this," he said quietly and slowly. "There's no more fooling around. This has gone too far. Oh ho, ho, ho! You'll be sorry that you let that skinny little white boy and his bitch along with the dorky kid and that slut here!"

"HEY!" both Aang and Katara yelled at him in complete rage.

"You heard me right," he spat. "And for future reference, it could've been avoided if they stayed where they were! You're going to be sorry, Arekin, BIG TIME!" And he stormed into the forest, back to the village without a second glance.

"S-should we do something?" Aang stammered.

"No," Arekin said quietly. "We'll wait. We can't arrest him if he hasn't done anything."

'-'

Now here's where it is! Not really. YAY the school year is over and grad is over (6/14)! I got on the Principal's List with a GPA of 3.87 and a trophy for being smart. Then I got a plaque for most service hours, and 2 awards, one in Art and one in Writing. It was funny what my teacher said. She's like, "If anyone could write a multi-chapter story, it's the person who most deserves this." I started to crack up. NEHO, I'm still sad it's over. (Sigh) well, at least I have more time for this. Will ANYONE enter the contest?


	16. The good die in this one

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter sixteen: The good die in this one

'-'

"Ma'am, we've finished the knife. Seven inches to the blade, no more, no less, just like you asked," the Lieutenant told Hiashi. He held out the knife, wrapped in a white cloth. The handle was jet black, the silver copper-tinted colored metal gleaming with the help of the torches. She scanned over it, looking for any possible flaws.

"Appears fine," she praised. "The hub is the Cobalt metal like I instructed, correct?"

"Yes."

"Perfect." She reached out to pick it up in order to take a better look at it, but a bolt of black lighting struck her hand. "Damn!" she muttered, jerking her hand back. "What the hell was that about?" The Lieutenant shrugged.

"Would you like that to be fixed?"

"No," she said quietly. "I'm not going to be the one managing it. Zuko will have to."

"Why do you let him push you around so much," he asked her. "He doesn't have the right to boss you around like this."

"It's his craft, and as long as he's governing it, I can't dispute. Whatever he says goes. I'm sure he doesn't want me to carry this thing anyways."

"But he hasn't done anything! He wasn't the one who found the composition, you did!"

"Just between you and I," she said quietly, "he's not that sharp. Street quick, maybe, but not book smart. I'm left with the intricate math problems, and scientific twaddle. The least we can give him is a nice sparkly article to have fun with, no?" The Lieutenant laughed.

"That's true," he shrugged.

"That's between the two of us," she said sternly. "Now, I need to get this to him. The earlier I outline the course, the better. There's so much I need to chart out, and this knife needs to identify who it's operating for." She grabbed the handle with the cloth blocking her hand and thanked the Lieutenant. She walked away, knowing exactly where to go.

Winding through the corridors of the long vessel, she found her destination. It was the meditation room, which she referred to as the church. It was a quaint little thing, which she had only been in once before, but it was just a walk-in. She had known Zuko used it a lot when he was annoyed with her or anyone else and needed time away. After what she said to him earlier in the morning, she was sure he was here. Holding her breath, she turned the door's large handle, opening the entrance to the dark room.

Light poured in from the outside, adding to the candles that were lit inside. Like she guessed, Zuko was sitting on one of the mats, meditating. The candles rose gently with every breath he took. She hadn't noticed, but the years had taken a toll on him. Forced to grow up too soon, it really showed. The stress was gathering under his eyes, a youth deprived from his childhood two years ago.

_Lucky you. Try thirteen years ago. Not so easy having to grow up so fast now, is it?_

"What?" Zuko asked quietly. Her head jolted in his direction.

"Huh?" she asked him. One of the flames flickered, grew, then shrank.

"Why are you interrupting me? You better have a good excuse, you wench."

"I have a name," she growled at him. "Did you ever think of using it?"

"You mean that mud blood name of yours?" he laughed. "It's such a stupid name."

"Yeah, and 'Zuko' is better. Do you even know what your name means?"

"I don't care," he said, his voice, and the flames of the candles, rising. "Why are you here?"

"The knife's done," she answered, stepping inside, closing the door behind her. The room was darker, leaving the both of them to rely on the light of the candles. Zuko opened his eyes and stood up. He walked over to look at the handicraft she held.

"I don't like it," he said with a disgusted look.

"We didn't build it so you could like it. This is going to help you get the Avatar so you can kill him and get back your 'honor!'"

"Well, I should like it," he frowned. She shook her head and sighed.

"Give me your hand."

"Why the hell should I do that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Just give me your hand, or you'll never get him and this ship'll become your sarcophagus." He glared at her, but eventually, held out his hand. Dusting away the cloth to uncover the blade, it seemed as if she was going to put it in his hand. But instead, she placed the blade to his hand, and slashed at his palm.

"OW! WHAT THE HELL?" he snarled, jerking his hand backwards. He kicked her in the knee when he turned. She didn't say anything, but her knee was throbbing terribly. Hiashi gritted her teeth to block out the pain and her anger.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, but that was necessary," she said between clenched teeth.

"What, _that_ was necessary? Are you mad, bitch?"

"If you mean mad as in irate, then yes! Instead of kicking me, did you think there was something else you could have done?"

"Killing you, maybe!" he snarled. He snatched the knife from her hand, amazingly, it did nothing. It seemed as if he was actually going to pull through with his plan. Raising the dagger over his head, it reflected the room around her. She saw it coming down, but didn't move. It was too soon. At the very last second, she ducked, moving out of the path of his wrath. It seemed that it was a miss, amazingly, he hit his supposed target. The room filled with a sudden glow, the air itself opening up. Zuko stared at it. Hiashi stood up, looking in amazement that it worked. She laughed, but silenced herself.

"That's where we need to be," she said quietly. "You learned to use it. Amazingly, in rage. Maybe you won't die here." Zuko looked at the knife, then grinned wickedly. The Avatar wasn't safe anywhere now…

'-'

The events of last night were told to Tsuchi and Sokka. Like Aang and Katara, they didn't take it so well. "What the heck is his problem?" Sokka asked rhetorically. "We haven't exactly done anything!"

"But it explains why he hates Arekin so much," Aang said.

"That still doesn't give him the right to say that stuff about us," Katara said.

"Both way, we intruded and maybe he has a point," Tsuchi observed. "But doesn't Arekin care about the threat?"

"Not really," Aang answered. "But he is taking precaution. The army is watching the village. But he says that's the most he can do."

"Well, I finished graphing everything out. We should be able to leave by tonight at about an hour past midnight."

"That's good," Sokka sighed. "Anything to leave here."

At that point, that seemed to be the best idea. But Tsuchi insisted to leave at the time she instructed. Claudius hadn't shown his face since last night. Arekin didn't find that a good thing. He said it meant he was anywhere, doing anything. But by midday, he shook of his fears. Arekin's mother, Eris, decided to be kind and invited the four of them for lunch. Arekin wasn't so happy, but didn't want to say anything. It wasn't that he hated them; it was that he didn't know them so well. Even though they were there for four days, he still didn't know them that well.

The lunch was quite interesting. Even though they were only there for so long, they had grown accustom to the exotic foods. The lunch was quite interesting: the same green vegetables, some oddly shaped noodles, and with it, some chopped up meat from the animals that resided on the continent.

"Uh, I don't eat meat," Aang said sheepishly.

"Don't eat meat?" Arekin's father, Horatio laughed. "That's a first. Just pick it out, won't do any harm." Aang didn't say anything, but in the end, he was plucking out the meat from his meal, leaving them on the side of his plate.

"So," Eris said spontaneously, "how is Chana?"

Arekin, who was eating also, nearly choked on his food. He coughed a bit to dislodge the food from his throat, then swallowed hard. His eyes were watery, so he wiped them, answering, "She's fine I guess. Why the sudden question?" Aang, Katara and Sokka were all snickering.

"Oh, just curious," she said innocently. "She's just so nice, is all."

"Nice to know," he muttered. He tried to continue eating when his father spoke.

"She's very smart, don't you think?"

"Yeah, sure," he answered hastily, turning red. The sight was funny. Someone who pulled off sophistication and staidness so well couldn't hold up such a question. "What are you implying?"

"Have you seen Melek today?" Eris asked suddenly. "I haven't seen her at all."

"I'm sure she's okay," Horatio assured her. "Melek's a smart girl. Don't worry. She's okay. So, Arekin, why exactly did you put Chana as co-Commander?"

'-'

"I think you've practiced enough," Chana said to Osric, still stumbling through most of the difficult steps of aerokinetics.

"I think I have it," he said with too much confidence. He tried once more to circle the air, but he was only able to conduct it half way.

"I don't know how to do that, but at least I know how not to do it," she smiled. "Come on, let's go."

The journey wasn't so long, but it always felt that way. The trees were so close together, it seemed easy to get lost in. Easy to hide something. As the trees were closing in behind them, the clearing for the village appeared. A perfect opportunity to bring up—

"So, Chana," Osric asked slyly, "Arekin's cool, huh?"

"I guess he's okay, why?" she asked.

"My psyco-delic sensed tell me he has a thing for you and vice versa." He smiled as she began to turn red.

"That's stupid," she laughed nervously. "He does not and neither do I. He's the Commander, I just work for him."

"But look at all the stuff he's let you do! He appointed you co-Commander, he's letting you train me when Astrid knows a lot more about aerokinetics than you do, and he's letting you train me!"

"You said that twice! Either way, that doesn't mean anything," she said, annoyed. "He only did that because I try hard. He's just awarding me for what I do and—oh my god." Chana stopped.

"See, what'd I tell you?" Osric said triumphantly. "I have a knack for that kind of thing, see-."

"NO, you idiot!" she cried. "In the bushes!" Osric looked.

"I don't see any- oh shit." He saw what she saw. Chana covered her mouth to muffle her screams, repeating the same thing over and over again. "I'll get Arekin!" Osric acted fast, running fast towards Arekin's home.

'-'

"Okay, will you please drop it?" he asked, now exasperated with the conversation. "It's getting a little-."

"AREKIN!" a voice shouted from the door. "ERIS, HORATIO, ANYONE! COME HERE! THRE'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO KNOW!" Arekin jumped to his feet, more than willing to leave the conversation at a standby. He ran and opened the door to a frantic Osric.

"What is it?" Arekin asked puzzled.

Osric was shaking, still moving in his spot, desperate to show them his discovery.

"Youneedtocome!" he said quickly. "It'sMelek! Intheforest! Bloody! Justcome!" Arekin's eyes widened, and without a further delay, Osric was off, Arekin trailing behind him. Horatio stood up and ran out of the house, followed by Eris, closely trailed by Aang, Katara, Sokka and Tsuchi. All of them followed Osric to the mouth of the forest, where the limp body of a sweet child laid. Eris stopped in her steps and began to cry, her husband the only one to comfort her. Aang, Katara, Sokka and Tsuchi froze in their spots, stricken with horror at the sight.

Melek laid limp on the dirt floor, covered in blood, sweat, and dirt. Her once perfect golden locks of hair were now limp and tangled, covering most of her face. Her previously perfect and adorable face was now marred, covered in cuts, bruises, blood, dirt, and grass. Her outfit was now torn, also covered in dirt and blood. No movement came from her. One arm hung out at an odd angle, surely broken. Her ankle was in a totally different direction. Her knee cap was torn and bloody, revealing what was inside. Arekin dropped to his knees and gathered the bunch of what was his sister.

"Melek!" he growled. "Wake up! MELEK! DAMMIT, WAKE UP! FUCKDAMMIT, MELEK, CAN YOU EVEN HEAR ME? WAKE UP!" There was no response from her. She just stayed limp, no breath came. Arekin stared at her, too much hope into her eyes opening. The only sound was of Eris' cries. The birds stopped singing, the wind was still, nothing filled the air. "Melek, damn it, wake up…" He stopped, for he felt her hand, reaching toward his pocket, the pocket where he kept…

"Melek, what the hell are you doing?" he snapped at her.

"Brother," she tried to speak, but her word sounded as if she had to put so much effort into it. Her eyes began to swell up with tears, running down her dirty face. She gripped the dagger that was in his pocket. She knew it was there. It was his defense, something he kept with him at all times. Uniquely designed with teeth to tear a wound worse than it was created. "It… hurts. Won't… you … kill…"

"Hell no!" he said to her. "Damn it, don't think like that! You're going to live! The doctor-."

"Can't…do…anything!'" she wheezed. "It… hurts… too… much… Just… do… it… or… I… will."

"No one's going to kill you, Melek!" he snarled. "You're going to get through this!" He attempted to stand up, but her cries of pain forced him back down. "Who did this?" he asked calmly.

"Claudius," she glared at the sky. Her breathing was staggering; every sharp intake of breath hurt her. A rib was broken, poking at her every time she took in air. "Please… just… do… it…" she gasped again, crying with pain. "It… won't… go… away." She smiled at her brother. Even that seemed to look like it hurt. "You… know… I… love… you," she wheezed. "And… mommy… daddy… I… won't… hate… you…" Even thought every ounce of him wanted to believe she would survive, he knew she was right. There was too much damage done.

"Melek, I love you, little sister. So does mother and father. Never forget that."

"I won't," she smiled. She began to sing, still struggling to breath at that.

_"Wishing somehow you were here again_

_Wishing you were somehow near_

_Sometimes it just seemed if I just dreamed_

_Somehow you would be here…"_

Even in pain, her voice was sweet and velvety. But every line she forced out, seemed to take a lot of effort.

"Wishing I… could hear… your… voice… again…"

"Melek, I'm sorry," Arekin whispered, holding back his tears.

"Knowing that… I… never… would…" Her song was never finished. "Dreaming of—." Her words were cut off with the horrid sound of metal through flesh. She froze, choked, finally closing her eyes, falling limp in her brother's arms.

"**_DAMN IT_**!" Arekin cried at the top of his lungs. "**_DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT!_**" The whole world was frozen. Nothing moved, nothing made sound but the cries of those who cared. Although, it seemed that the world was mourning too. Arekin was silent, gently putting his sister on the floor. He stood up, his head hung low.

"A-Arekin," Chana stammered, "what are-." He turned and walked back to the village. Even though he was silent, there was too much anger and grief that no adjective could explain his state.

"A-Arekin?" Osric called again, his voice cracking. "What are you going to do?" Arekin didn't answer, but he was coming closer to the village. Aang, Katara, Sokka and Tsuchi were the first to react. They followed him into the settlement, Chana and Osric finally following them, Eris and Horatio followed behind. They were in the middle of the village when it was clear as to what his doings were going to be.

"CLAUDIUS!" Arekin snarled, finally spotting his target. Claudius turned to see a ball of fire coming to his head. He ducked it.

"What the hell was that for, bitch?" he yelled at him.

"YOU KILLED HER, YOU BASTARD! YOU KILLED HER!" He nearly lunged himself at him, forgetting everything he stood for. Lucky for them, Astrid and Marcellus were there at the moment, able to prevent him from attacking Claudius. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU KILLED HER!"

"I didn't do anything!" he sneered. "You have no proof!"

"She told me!" he growled. "You killed an innocent child! You bastard! You brought her into this and she didn't do anything!"

"She told you?" he asked astound. "Damn, I thought I killed that sucker."

"YOU DAMN FUCKER!" He snarled, attempting to lunge at him again. But the two of them held him back. Claudius laughed.

"You can't do anything!" he laughed. "I didn't kill Melek and you can't kill me for doing it. I was proving a point, little Areki. You allowed those four in here and you wouldn't listen. If anything, it's their fault!" He pointed in their direction. "Blame them. Did you see what a good job I did? I made her swallow that damn tooth of hers. Ain't that swell? Tore up her throat, it did! What are you going to do about it? I didn't kill her, you did apparently. Can't convict an innocent guy."

Arekin glared fiercely at him. He tore himself away from Astrid and Marcellus. "Get the hell out of my village," he said quietly. "You're banished."

"You can't do that!" he laughed.

"Actually," Marcellus interrupted, "he can. If you read your manual, it clearly says that if a villager betrays another with battery or destruction of the individual's property, then the Commander has the right to expel the convict." Claudius' smile fell. The whole town was now staring at the scene they were making. He looked around for any support.

"Keh-you can't be serious?" he stuttered. No one was showing him compassion. "Th-this is unbelievable! Y-you can't possibly…" He silenced himself. "This is bullshit! You've got to be joking!"

"You heard me right," Arekin growled. "Get the hell out of here. I don't want to see your face again."

Claudius looked for support from anyone. "Come on… Anyone?" No one wanted to be involved. Everyone who was around him started to back away. He laughed nervously. "Fine! I don't need any of you jerks! But I guarantee, you'll all be sorry. Then when you're fixing this town up when it gets burned, you can blame them!" He turned and stormed out.

'-'

I nearly cried while typing this. Won't you enter the contest? Anything can happen in your world! If you want, I'll make Zuko and Sokka sing! (Thinks on it) on second thought, forget the Broadway tunes. But there will be a performance hall in the near future! Until next time, Signing Off!


	17. Assail at Enzansoshi

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic

Yay! One of my best-kind friend's reviewed to my story! Yeah, Cynthia. I'm guessing this story's gonna be really long! Get ready for the ride of your lives people!

Chapter seventeen: Assail at Enzansoshi

'-'

The sun was slowly setting near Enzansoshi. But that wasn't on Zuko's mind. The Avatar wasn't going anywhere. "Do you know where they are?" Zuko asked Hiashi.

"Possibly in a close by village?" she guessed.

"Great, we get here and you don't even know where they are!" he reprimanded.

"It's not my fault!" she retorted. "They could be anywhere here! Do you seriously think they'd stay in one spot?"

"Would you two stop fighting?" the Lieutenant snapped. "We won't get anywhere if you two keep bickering like this! You're acting like a bunch of children!" Hiashi and Zuko glared at each other. Zuko was about to open his mouth when a voice from afar interrupted.

"…Those jerks! Kick me out, why don't they! I'll show them. Arekin can't deny the fact I'll keep my promise! I'm sure he'll never forget what I did to his sister! That little brat. Those four're going to be their death… that skinny little white boy and his bitch along with the dorky kid and that slut. I'll show them…"

The group looked at each other. The crazed person described four people. Might that be them? Zuko didn't waste any time. "Hey, you!" he shouted in the forest. The footsteps came to a halt.

"What the hell do you want, scarface?" the man snapped. Zuko glared at him, and even if he wanted to kill him, he didn't say anything.

"Have you seen a child?" Hiashi intervened. "He has a blue arrow on his head and is traveling with three other people and a large animal. He might go by Aang, or the 'Avatar.' Seen anyone going by the description?" The group looked at her.

"Are you talking about the same faggish kid that ruined my life?" the guy asked. Zuko jerked his head in his direction.

"Do you know anything about him?" he asked anxiously.

"Know anything?" the guy laughed. "Hell, I know a lot of things! That skinny white boy got me kicked out of my own town. And I was just proving a point."

"Do you know where he is?" Hiashi asked.

"Shut up!" the guy snapped at her. "He's got a hang of thing!"

"And I'm not telling you this!" Zuko smirked. Hiashi glared at him, but remained silent. "Anyways…"

"Yeah, I know where the fag is," the guy answered. "But you're gonna need assistance. Your army doesn't look up to the job. It's big enough to fight the town's defenses, but not big enough for the regions backup. Might want to get some help."

"Do you know where?" Zuko asked, hoping that this would soon be over.

"Know where? I know who."

'-'

"This place reminds me too much of Engoku," Hiashi mumbled to herself. "It's freaky." The city was ramshackle, buildings torn from head to toe, no grass in sight, urchins selling odd paraphernalia. The place smelled of death, an eerie floating through the town. The people were haggard and gaunt looking, most of the people dirty, their teeth and faces terrible. And old lady caught her attention; she was hacking awfully, her clothes look nothing more than like rags. What appeared to be her grandchildren didn't look any better. They were covered in dirt, with clean streaks running down their faces, possibly from tears. She forced herself to look away, looking forward down the streets. They were no better. Animals lied dead in the road, fly-like creatures floating around them, eating away at the flesh.

"Won't you help us?" one small, dirty boy cried, actually coming up to Zuko.

"Get the hell away from me!" he snarled at the kid. He shoved him away, pushing the kid to the floor.

"What was that for?" she whispered to him. "He's just a child!"

"Let it go," the Lieutenant warned. It wasn't until long when they reached a tall fortress, towering over the city. The stones were chipping away. The stone was covered in graffiti, and yet, no one seemed to care. There were no guards out front, anyone could slip right through.

"Shall we enter and get the Commander?" the guy asked. Zuko eyed him funny, but reluctantly entered the building, following the guy. The inside was no better than the inside. Water dripped from the ceiling, the cold stones seeping cold air through the cracks. The paintings on the wall of predecessors watched them walking through the corridors. It seemed as if the guy knew exactly where he was going. "Right through here," the guy smiled maniacally. Zuko walked in, avoiding the guy. Hiashi followed him, the guy closing the door behind them. The room was black against the walls, the shelves filled to the brim with books. Peculiar items were scattered against the rooms. Cobwebs festooned the corners, dust was being kicked up with every step they too. A man in a black chair sat with his back turned on them, in front of a lit hearth.

"Why the hell are you here?" the man behind the chair snarled. "Didn't my guards stop you?"

"There was no one outside," Zuko answered the man, a bit confused.

"There wasn't?" the man asked, surprised.

"No."

"I need to execute them, then. Thank you for telling me. Answer my question," the man said, standing up and turning to them. He was tall with inky hair, pulled back at the base of his head. His face was scarred at the eye, stretching from the corner down to his neck. He had on a dark-red cloak, falling to the floor. His eyes were jet black, looking like those who didn't belong to a human, but rather a demon. His hands were badly torn and dry, his entire complexion almost ashen. "Why are you here?"

"We need your help," the guy interrupted. Zuko and Hiashi looked at him.

"Aren't you one of Enzansoshi's people?" the man asked.

"Not anymore," the guy smirked. "We were planning an attack on the village, and we were hoping that you may help."

"We," Hiashi added, "need to-."

"Shut your mouth, woman!" the man snapped. "I'm sure that _he_ has vocal cords. Let him talk, you filthy bitch."

"Yeah," Zuko sneered, "shut up and let me talk!" Hiashi glared at them.

"Fine you refractory, arrogant, irascible, haughty, petulant misogynist jerks. I hope you all drop dead." She began to open the door when the earth began to tremble slightly.

"What the hell are you doing?" Zuko yelled at her. "Whatever it is, stop!"

"Fuck off and die, Zuko!" she snapped at him. "You idiotic human." She stormed out, as the planet calmed itself.

"That bitch of yours needs to learn some manners," the man said finally.

"She's a real wench!" the guy laughed.

"Anyways," Zuko continued, "will you help me? You can attack the town and I can get what I need. What do you say?"

"I say you have a deal," the man smiled.

'-'

As the settlement was in a state of prayer, they were unaware of who were lingering in the forest besides them. The army of the place they were in earlier was trailing behind them, made up of at least a hundred people. "Come," the guy whispered to them, "Wanna show you guys something." He led them to a small niche in the forest, where a figure with a sheet placed over it was laying. He knelt down, and unsheathed the figure. Zuko and the rest of his crew gasped. A small girl lied underneath, bloody and marred. Hiashi stared at it, and even Zuko, who didn't care about anyone, was surprised at the sight.

"Who did that?" Zuko asked him.

"I did," he said proudly. "The brat was easy to kill. So unsuspecting. The perfect crime to commit. But I got kicked out of the village for it. Look, broke an arm, ankle, some ribs, and I made her swallow a tooth. Tore open her leg to, over here," he said to them, as if he created an opus.

Zuko knelt down next to him, looking over the child. "Why the hell did you kill her?"

"Her brother was being a bitch," he said bluntly. "She was an easier target. But I did a great job, don't you agree?" Zuko didn't say anything. He just looked over the child's bloody corpse.

"You take pride in this?" Hiashi said, flabbergasted.

"Why not?"

"Zuko, can I talk to you for a minute?" Hiashi said urgently. He stood up and turned to her.

"What?" he whispered harshly.

"Don't you think he's a bit crazy?" she hissed.

"Yeah, he killed a child, but so what?"

"That's going a bit too far!"

"I don't care! I need to get the Avatar or how _you_ refer to him, 'Aang.'" He turned to the guy, who had covered up the cadaver. "What are we waiting for?"

'-'

The town was quiet, holding their candles, a vigil for Melek's spirit. In Enzansoshi's tradition, it was rightful to bury the person where they died, for if the body was moved, then the spirit would be separated, forced to wander, forever looking for its remains. The sky was now dark, the stars littering the sky. The town was quiet, not including the silent weeps of a few. Arekin stare in anger at the ground, his fists clenched tightly. Aang stayed quiet, too many thoughts running trough his head.

_Maybe this is my fault. This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't of come here. Maybe if I never ran away, Melek would have lived. But then again, Katara said I shouldn't keep thinking of what would have happened if it never happened, since it already happened and it can't be fixed. But still. Claudius said that if we would have left, she'd still be alive. Arekin said not to blame ourselves, saying it was fate and it was bound to happen eventually. But what if that wasn't true? He was so focused on not listening to Claudius' warnings that he didn't think that anyone else would get hurt. If we hadn't had come…_

They lit the bamboo explosives…

_She'd still be alive…_

It was only a matter of seconds…

_And they wouldn't be in this position—_

An explosion erupted from the forest, a shower of cinders pouring over the town. People began to scream, heading away from the sparks. Arekin and the rest didn't waste ant time thinking. With all of his mind, he swirled the embers into a cloud of light, directing it away from and out of the village.

"What the hell was that?" Osric asked timidly.

"Dunno," Arekin muttered. No sooner, another explosion erupted, sending more embers, finally burning houses down.

"What did we tell you, Avatar?" a voice echoed from behind.

"It can't be…" Aang turned around.

"You can't get away." With one swift movement, he sent a whip of fire at him. Arekin blocked it, taking over Zuko.

"Aang, get out, I'll hold him off!" he shouted at him. More people came, soon, the army pitching in. More explosions were set off, the sound of swords and elements' moving, screams of pain and fear filled the air. More was being worried with, homes were burning, the whole village engulfed in flames. The fight went on, amazingly, Zuko and Arekin were of equal power, but still, Arekin had an advantage. Zuko drew his sword, not his typical one, but his new 'toy.' Acting like an expert, he flipped it once in his hand, lunging after Arekin. Arekin did the same, drawing his own knife. Unfortunately, Arekin struck first. With a tearing noise, he was only able to graze his arm. But it was still powerful. Blood began to run down Zuko's arm. Hiashi, who was a few yards away, say the whole thing.

"Oh my god, Zuko!" she cried. He turned to look at her, and for the first time, he saw fear in her eyes. Care, worry, panic. But didn't she hate him? He gritted his teeth, unbelieving that he was doing this, but gave her a look, assuring her he was okay. She let out a sigh of relief, and continued to attack Chana.

_What was that about?_

"Get up and fight!" Arekin sneered. "You didn't destroy my village for nothing!"

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get-." But someone in front of him caught his eye: Aang. "But my target's over there." Darting past him, Hiashi filled in for him.

"I'll illustrate to this misogynist world that girls are just as vigorous as you bastards!" she hissed.

"What are you talking about?" Arekin questioned. "You're working for the wrong crowd, soldier!" Hiashi glared at him, but inside, she was overwhelmed with ecstasy.

_Not even Zuko's entitled me a soldier. This guy ain't half bad. But that's not gonna discontinue me from lashing out his ass!_ Without a second's thought, she attacked him with a wave of flames from deep within the planet. Arekin dodged it, sending a strong current of air towards her.

As the fights toiled on, nothing was being accomplished. At least not yet. Without Arekin's knowledge, he had dropped his dagger on the floor, out of his reach, but in Hiashi's eye sight. Invisible and quickly, she snatched up the knife. Using the same technique she used on Zuko, she kicked him hard behind his leg, and with a few steps, managed to kick him on the floor. And with one swift movement, she put the dagger into Arekin's shoulder, pinning him to the ground. He growled in pain. "This aught to restrain you," she sneered, walking away.

Zuko was just as successful. Not even falling short of tired, he continued, not falling short of tired, yet Aang was clearly trying to hold up from Zuko's blows.

Arekin, grabbed at the sword that held him. Gently and gingerly, he pulled the dagger out of the dirt, allowing himself to get up. But the knife was still inside his shoulder. He twisted the handle off of the blade, allowing him to pull it trough the wound, not inflicting anymore damage than it already did. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Tsuchi were all fighting, most of the people fighting they didn't even know. There was something that Arekin could do to help, but it'd take a lot out of him. At this point, it didn't matter.

With every bit of energy he drew from himself, he attempted to do something he had never done before.

Zuko had managed to grab a hold of Aang, by the neck. Holding Aang up off of the ground, he tightened his grip, creating a stricture on his throat. "After all of this time waiting, searching, I have you in my grasps," he hissed maniacally. "You can't get out of this-." He stopped. Suddenly, he was surrounded by a blue mist. The fighting stopped, all of the soldiers that were against them, surrounded in a blue mist as well. Zuko loosened his grip, dropping Aang on the ground, leaving Aang to gasp for air. Zuko and the others tried to move, but couldn't. Seconds later, they were being pushed; no, they were being thrown out of the village. Arekin was using every ounce of him, creating a shield that tossed negative energy out. All of the soldiers went tumbling across the meadow floor, rolling and hitting their limbs against the floor. Hiashi, landed on her feet, but to no avail; her knees collided with her ribs cage, sending her down in pain. Zuko shook his head, dusting out the pain. "Damn it!" he snarled. "How did we let that happen?"

"It doesn't matter," the Commander of the enemy village said to him.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" Zuko snapped. "I lost an opportunity to get what I came for and that damn bastard ruined it!"

"Look at it this way," the guy smiled. "That was a warning. You just let them know that they're not safe anywhere. You're there, lurking in the shadows, they don't know when you'll strike." The man shrugged. "Come on, troops, lets go home and plan our next step in action." They walked away, leaving Zuko's group.

He sighed, but knew now that he couldn't get back in. Zuko wasn't one to give up, but at this point he was shamed to admit he had no choice. "Get up, we're leaving. We'll figure something else out." He walked in the direction of where they had left the opening. His arm was still bleeding profusely, but he didn't seem to care, or chose not to. The crew stood up and brushed themselves clean. All of them, except of Hiashi, who still lied on the floor, clutching her stomach.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" the Lieutenant asked her. She rolled to her knees, propping herself up. She struggled to breathe, her mind spinning.

"I'll be fine," she responded. "J-just help me up." He held out a hand, allowing her to support her weight on a tree.

"Are you-?"

"I'll be fine!" she snapped unintentionally. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I just landed wrong, it's nothing." He eyed her suspiciously, but then left her. She took another breath in, once again, her back beginning to hurt. _This whole damn thing was a mistake_, she thought. _I should have stayed in Engoku._ Taking in one last breath, she forced herself to the portal, forcing her legs to move.

Arekin wasn't doing so well either. After using almost all of his energy conjuring the shield, it caused him to nearly collapse.

"Arekin, why the hell did you do such a stupid thing?" Chana said to him. Osric smiled at her, which she returned with a caustic glare.

"I think now it's time for you to leave," Arekin said quietly. "Now."

The four of them hung their heads. "It is nearly an hour past one," Tsuchi mumbled. "Sokka?" She didn't need to tell him twice. He drew the sword, and with no second to spare, he created another portal.

"We're sorry," Aang frowned. "Come on, Appa." The bison and the lemur came, and without turning back, they entered the next world.

'-'

Wow, went through that quickly. And I figured out what Zuko's name means: zukou (the closest): drawing and manual arts. Until next world, Signing Off!


	18. Funland

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic

Author's note: I just say hi. And I forgot stuff. I went to a karate competition and won first place in everything I participated in! Yeah, that was last Sunday (6/11). Yeah, I went up against 2 girls. They were nice. I accidentally kicked one to the floor, but she was laughing. Rachel, I'm sorry! Yeah, I'll bet they're not even reading this. Well NEHO, since no one has reviewed (this usually is the chapter people stop reviewing to my story) I'm just going to write for the heck of it 'cause I enjoy it! On with the fic!

Chapter eighteen: Funland

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sokka shouted, looking over where they were. It was a small little town, filled with-green people wearing the same green shirt and pink shorts. The sky was a powder pink color, which stood out oddly. Aang held his mouth, trying to keep himself from laughing.

"Well, this was the world I get up on the chart," Tsuchi said to them, looking over her notes. "And you have to remember-."

"Hello, travelers," one person came up to them. "My name is Bo Bob, and welcome to Funland."

"Funland?" Katara questioned. "Is that the name of this town, or the planet?"

"Another person from out of this planet, I'm guessing," the one called Bo Bob smiled.

Sokka frowned. "Another?"

"You shouldn't frown," Bo Bob warned. "It's against the law."

"Against the law to frown? That's interesting," Aang smiled.

"Would you like to meet my friend, Mary Sue?" Bo Bob asked to them.

"Sure," Aang said.

"But we can't stay long," Tsuchi reminded. "If Zuko and my sister find out we're here, who knows what could happen. Plus you have to get to the Fire Nation capital, which is the only reason why we're doing this."

"Come, weary travelers," Bo Bob smiled. "You can come with me, while you tell Mary Sue and me all about your journeys."

The walk through Funland, which they later discovered the city they were in was called Party City, was quite interesting. The town was lively, no one was frowning, nor were there any businesses in the streets. No one was selling anything; everyone seemed to just, well, having fun! Another thing they noticed was that there wasn't any water in sight. Not a single puddle anywhere. It was strange, but they didn't say anything about it. As their walk continued, they learned more about the small world.

About a couple of months ago, someone else had entered the world by accident; she went by the name of Karina Teslow ("A genius," Bo Bob said). She had helped them get rid of a troublesome ruler by the name of Lord Sloth (who was hoping to take the girl's knowledge and take over the universe) amazingly, with knowledgeable words. His son took over, and seemed to be doing what appeared as a better job. Funland seemed perfect, only one law: You must always have fun, and you must never frown. Fair enough for them. On the way to 'Mary Sue's' house, they received a lot of weird stares. Appa and Momo drew a lot of attention to themselves. It wasn't until a few minutes later when they met up with a girl, who resembled Bo Bob. "Mary Sue, these are…" He realized he never got their names.

It was the same process again. "I'm Aang; this is Katara, Sokka, and Tsuchi." The four of them waved.

"Hello, my name is Mary Sue! This is the second time I have met someone from outside of this world. How did you get here?" she asked.

"With this," Sokka answered, drawing his knife.

"Ooo, how interesting," Bo Bob and Mary Sue said in awe. Sokka sheathed the sword back into the dragon hide pouch.

"Wasn't exactly easy to get," he mumbled.

"You must be hungry!" Mary Sue said happily. "Let me make you something to eat!" Before the four of them could say anything, she ran inside of her house and began to cook up something. After just barely adapting to one type of food, they were just desperate to eat anything. They were mostly tired, considering they had been up since morning time in Enzansoshi, and bearing in mind that they left at an hour past midnight there, and it was midday here, today was going to be long. They sat in Mary Sue's house, while Tsuchi became the bearer of bad news.

"I just figured out that we have to leave by tonight guys," she said sadly. She was close to frowning, but quickly stopped herself.

"But you just got here, can't you stay longer?" Bo Bob asked sorrowfully.

"Sorry," she smiled, "but we have things to do. Fate of the world kind of stuff."

"Food!" Mary Sue shouted happily. As the six of them gathered at the table to eat, more conversation went on, explanation of where they came from, but they conveniently left out element bending, and the fact that they were being hunted by a haughty exiled prince and a wanted hybrid who now have a copy of the knife. The meal was quite delicious, even though it was hard to describe.

"Before you leave," Bo Bob finally said, "you must come to Sun City. It is so much fun!"

The four of them looked at each other, then to Tsuchi. She sighed. "I guess there's no problem.

"Great!" Mary Sue smiled. "We should leave now, before you have to leave.

(Sorry Cynthia that I couldn't fit more in. But I seriously would like to see a crowd of sad, angry folks who always frown and curse enter your world. That's fun stuff!)

'-'

"Are you sure she's okay?" Iroh asked Zuko, who was now being bandaged up by the doctor. It had been only a few hours since they had gotten back, and already, Hiashi was shut in her room, plotting out their path to the next world. The entire crew was being fixed up, after the crash they had taken earlier, all of them except for Hiashi, who probably took the worst blow with the fall. Yet she kept insisting she didn't need, nor did she want any medical attention. The first thing she did was go to her room, claiming she was going to plan everything.

"How the hell should I know?" he spat. "I don't care!"

"And you're not going to do anything?" the Lieutenant asked him, annoyed.

"Why should I?" Zuko said to him. "If she doesn't want any medical attention, then why should I care? It's her fault if she dies, not mine." The Lieutenant frowned. Zuko never cared about anyone other than himself. No one else mattered. Ignominious or not, he should still care about the safety and well being of others, especially if they were trying so hard to impress him like she was. Why _was_ she trying so hard when he didn't seem to care?

In her quarters, she lied on her bed, Hyroki sat on her pillow. She closed her eyes, trying to shut out the pain from her ribs. She fought so hard to keep the memories that tried to force themselves up back down in the darkness of her mind. Hyroki stared at her, care in his glowing red eyes. "It'll be fine," she assured the rat, scratching his ear. "It's not a reiterate of Engoku. Sureiyaa doesn't know I'm here, so she can't impair us. Even though Zuko is an enormous jerk, I'm sure the others will facilitate the problem with me, don't you think?"

The rat squeaked. She sighed, wincing in pain. She felt like falling asleep, but something told her to stay awake. She closed her eyes, exhaling deeply. She tried to recall what she saw the opening. It was a cloudy picture, but she tried her best. People with odd attire, strangely, green skin. Homes, but her mind couldn't recover anything. She tried to keep herself awake, but she fell into a trance. Her mind was plunging deep into something. She felt her self plunging deeper and deeper, when suddenly, she heard a voice, saw a face…

_"Before you leave," a man with green skin said, "you must come to Sun City. It is so much fun!"_

_Someone sighed. "I guess there's no problem._

_"Great!" a woman with the same skin tone smiled. "We should leave now, before you have to leave._

A picture of a lighted city………… a gated castle………… a man with crimson skin………… then her mind went somewhere else. Another man…… masked…… a dragon mask……… who was that? Her mind wandered back to the world it was picturing… a name came up……… Funland?

_What the hell kind of name is Funland?_

Another name came up……… Lord Cattivo………

_Cattivo……… Maybe that's the name of the monarch… _her mind began to rise. She sat up quickly in bed, the blood rushing to her head, a sharp pain running throughout her body. She gasped in pain. What was that? Did she fall asleep then dream of everything, or was she channeling it?

"It had to have been a reverie," she told herself. Yet a part of her wouldn't believe it. She stood up, a distressed Hyroki looking up from her pillow. She limped over to her desk, looking over the papers and notes she took. She looked at her mirror, which she was now using as a marker board, examining all of the eccentric math problems. Looking back at the answers she came up with, it slowly came together. She might have been looking at the right world. Waves in the planet's patter caused their skin to turn a lime color. She wondered whether she had the right planet still. "What the hell, 'Funland.' What the devil are they going around naming their planet?" she sighed and sat down in the chair. It hurt to sit, her back in no condition to be moving.

_"I'm departing to my quarters," she said to the rest of them, slowly dragging herself over to the corridor._

_"Aren't you getting any medical attention?" the Lieutenant asked her._

_The mere thought of it made her shutter. "I don't necessitate any therapeutic attention. I need to figure out where those bastards are!"_

_"Leave her!" Zuko snarled. "If she wants to die, let her go."_

She hated him so much. He didn't care about her. He didn't treat her like a human, he didn't call her by her name, in fact, he gave the Avatar more respect than he did her, considering he wants to kill him.

"Your father has more esteem for women," she grumbled. "At least he permits them to enlist in his militia." Her eyes wandered over to a piece of paper. It scheduled out a path she had originally wrote. This 'Funland' she pictured was charted as Planet 1236. If they wanted to get the next planet safely, they had to leave by tonight. She reached over for a pen, and started to figure out the time difference:

_D: 183402893028 galaxies away_

_Rotation: 24 hrs a day, _

_183402893028 x 2 (35x)_

_Equals:_ _5.3377267039613798260688781738281_

_Round up: 5.4 hrs-1 hr._

_Time there: about mid-afternoon _

_" Here: about evening _

_Their time of departure: evening, about mid-evening. _

_Time of our departure: _

She thought for a moment. Every five hours was about an hour here. So………

_Time of our departure: about 1.5 hrs_

There wasn't a moment to spare. She opened the door to her room, Hyroki rising to his feet, following her. Where was he when she actually needed him? She tried outside. Sure enough, his wounds weren't holding him back from training. She blinked as he struck a harmless fly. She approached cautiously. Her back and her stomach were still hurting, and she didn't need him to make things worse. "Zuko?"

He nearly fell forward, accidentally sending Hyroki flying off of her back. Luckily, he landed on his feet, but that didn't stop him from hissing a spark of flames at Zuko. "What the hell was that for?" he snapped. "Do you love to sneak up on people?"

"You? Why not," she said sarcastically. "I was going to inform you where the Avatar may possibly be located, but I'm deducing you're not fascinated, so I'll just be-."

"Wait," he said to her. She stopped, a smile creeping on her face. He sighed. "What do you have?"

"Well," she said, turning around to face him. In reality, she didn't need to do that; she nearly ran into him when she did. "Okay," she stammered, "Excessively adjacent." She held out her arm, the two of them feeling a bizarre heat. "Well," she started again, tugging at her collar, "don't become too well rested. We have to depart in about an hour."

"What?" he nearly yelled. "There isn't a way around that? We just got out of the last fight!"

"Calm down!" she said. "It bequeaths you ample time to rest, but we'll need to hasten, is all. I encompassed all we'll need. If you covet to obtain him, then you're going to have to go along with it. I'm just as distressed as you are, and I'm sure your troop won't be too happy, but drastic calls call for drastic measures, don't you think?" He couldn't argue with that logic. As much as he wished they had more time, he couldn't work around it.

"All right," he mumbled. "Things are now totally screwed up now that you're here."

"Don't censure me," she said sarcastically. "Censure society. Mind if I prepare with you? You've kept me locked in my room deciphering this little math conundrum and I haven't exactly trained." He stared at her, pondering whether or not to allow her.

"Aw, just let the girl practice!" Iroh said suddenly. "Besides, I want to see her form of fighting." Zuko was about to object, but let it go.

"Whatever!" he snapped. He walked to the far side of the ship, continuing to send blast of flames into the sky. He completely forgot she was there, when he threw out a side kick.

"You're doing your side kicks wrong," she pointed out. "You're supposed to hit with the blade of the foot, not the arch.

"I don't give a damn, bitch!" he snarled at her.

"But your doing it wrong, just pointing it out," she said innocently.

"She's right," Iroh agree, "you are supposed to be hitting with the blade of your foot."

"Why are you standing up for her? You're my uncle!"

"Moreover, he's your mentor," she added.

"We never did finish our fight!" he suddenly remembered. "You chickened out!"

"I did not chicken out!" she growled. "You know damn well why I left!"

"Oh yeah, 'no one cares about the damn hybrid!'" he mocked. "Don't you care about anyone but yourself-." A rock from the ocean hit him in the back of the head. "What the—"

She got him to turn around, striking him in the back with her foot. Not wasting time, he struck back, the two soon becoming just a red blur. Hiashi didn't stall he earthbending abilities. Sending rocks from deep in the ocean, she was making sure he'd apologies. Unfortunately, Zuko still had his knife, a knife that can cut through any material. Blocking that was hard. Iroh sighed. "They're just a bunch of children." He didn't want to be here when they finished, so he walked away, heading to his game table. Maybe a game of cards could kill an hour.

"Just bestow it a respite, Zuko!" Hiashi said to him, creating a flaming Catherine wheel around herself, it growing fast, creating a barrier. It dissipated, but once it did, Zuko sent a blast of fire at her, creating an opening to hit her.

"The hell I won't!" he sneered. "Those people in that other world were right, you really should show more respect to me."

"And did you perceive that they had more than one element?" she asked. "Looks like I'm not the only one in the cosmos with more than one!"

"And that damn sister of yours."

She became infuriated, sending a powerful flame at him, with help from the sand in the ocean. "That's my sister! I'm the only one who can bad mouth her, you jerk!"

The sun was directing that it was almost time to leave, yet neither Zuko nor Hiashi were faltering. It wasn't until a few minutes later, when the two literally had each other by the neck. They froze, not daring to make any false moves.

"Want to label it a draw?" she panted.

"Hell no," he growled. "I'd rather die while killing you. I don't care. Zhao wouldn't be able to get the Avatar. No one can now. I have faster reflexes than you do, bitch. Make your move."

"I'd like to take you down right now," she spat, "and show you deep inside, my life, my inner working of smell and lack of inner pride, to touch upon the surface, is not for what it seems, and I take away my problems, but only in my dreams."

"What the hell does that mean," he questioned.

"It's a work of poetry. Let's just call it a draw. Any move the other make will elicit the other to counter, thus killing us both. I know you don't fancy dying. The Avatar means too much to you, and so does your pride. So we call it a draw now, get the damn Avatar, and we can eradicate each other later. You mostly, since I have no prerogative. What do you say, draw?"

He glared at her, not wanting to call a draw with her. But time was running out and they had to leave. "Fine," he finally said. "But don't think I won't kill you. You're still the hybrid everyone's looking for." he lowered his hand from her neck. She followed.

"That's all I beseech," she said. "You better get the crew. We need to depart like right now." he nodded, walking away, leaving her by herself. Once he was out of sight, she muffled her screams of pain. Hiashi fell to the ground, her body not able to support her weigh. "Damn, why did I confront him?" She carefully tried to balance herself on the edge of the ship. Able to steady herself, she limped away, readying herself for another fight.

_But those people didn't seem arduous. I mean, what kind of a name is 'Funland?'_

But someone was watching her…

"_She's_ the hybrid?"

'-'

Ooo… who saw? No one knows… Sorry Cynthia that I couldn't fit anything more in! I want to put the depressed people with cheery people! That's fun stuff. And certain people stayed late again, and he had to sneeze. He made the mistake of telling me, so I told him 'Bless you' before he could. I stared at him for the rest of the time, giving him a terrible feeling in his nose. He kept trying to get me to turn my attention to something else. At one point, he told me there was a ghost (I'm obsessed with the intangible lil' entities.) But I didn't fall for it. He actually told my sister, but she started to laugh too. Watching that was much better than watching their FM-A-thon. That was funny. HAHA Adrian, you couldn't sneeze! Well, until next time, Signing Off!


	19. What happens in Sun City stays

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: Yay, after a bit of obstacles, I finally found some time.

**Black Yankee**: Hi! You finally found some time? Finally, a friend other than the ones from fanfiction or the ones in my class actually reviewed. People listen to my ongoing ranting. Note to self: be careful what you say. On with the fic!

Chapter nineteen: What happens in Sun City stays

'-'

The walk from Party City to Sun City was close, but it was long. "This doesn't change my opinion on walking," Aang groaned. "Are we lost?"

Bo Bob scratched his pink hair. "We might be. Not again." He sighed.

"Why don't we ask Moonshine?" Mary Sue questioned.

"Moon-who?" Sokka asked dumbly.

"Moonshine," a deep voice emitted from the sky. The eight of them looked up.

"Hello, Moonshine!" Bo Bob and Mary Sue said cheerfully in unison.

"Are you talking to the moon?" Katara asked, puzzled.

"Why not?" Tsuchi mumbled. "Everything in this world is about as confusing as the next."

"Are you lost again?" Moonshine asked. "You'd think you would know by now."

Bo Bob laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, well, things happen. We just wanted to show our new friends Sun City before they have to leave.

Moonshine looked at them. "A group of peculiar fellows, aren't they?"

"Hey!" Sokka shouted, offended. Katara elbowed her brother in the ribs.

"Don't frown," she whispered.

"Wow, it's so cool that the moon can talk here!" Aang said in awe. "Where we're from, the moons are boring."

"I prefer the term 'Aero-Funican,'" Moonshine said proudly. "Now, would you like me to show you where Sun City is?"

"Yes, but quickly," Tsuchi interrupted. "We need to leave in about an hour."

"Why must you leave? Why not stay, my dears?" Mary Sue pleaded.

"We can't exactly stay in one place for long," Katara said sorrowfully. "Sorry."

"Well, we better make the best of it," Bo Bob said happily. "Let's go!"

As the time slowly trickled by, the walk to Sun City seemed to grow shorter. Before any of them noticed, they were suddenly surrounded by a city full of lights. They thanked Moonshine ("I so wish we could have moons like him back home," Aang smiled), and took a walk. But there was something different about Sun City that stood out. Something major, that made the place creepy.

"What happened to the people?" Mary Sue whispered. "They seem…"

"Gloomy?" Katara finished.

"Yes," Bo Bob affirmed. "But how? It's against the laws to be sad! This is impossible!"

"You shouldn't be so happy," an urchin said to them, "Lord Cattivo outlawed happiness here weeks ago."

"What? But that's impossible!" Mary Sue said, quite frankly, upset.

"Yeah, and we have to work, that's why he evicted me," the man shrugged. "But what can I say? He's the Lord now, can't do nothing about it." The man walked away.

"Wasn't everyone supposed to be happy?" Aang asked. "I liked it better that way."

"Who's Lord Cattivo, and what right does he have to do this?" Sokka questioned, looking around at the people.

"He's our new ruler," Bo Bob answered. "We thought that the evil of The Sloth family was over, but maybe we were wrong."

"We seriously need to stop this!" Aang declared. "He shouldn't be able to do this to this really cool place! It's not right!"

"And how are we going to do this?" Tsuchi asked him.

"Just follow my lead."

'-'

"You've got to be kidding my," Zuko grumbled.

"I advised you," Hiashi sighed.

"This place is totally gay!" (Sorry!)

"It's not gay," Hiashi sighed. "You don't even reside here."

"Well, it certainly is delightful," he mumbled.

"If you want to acquire the damn Avatar, then you have to make a few sacrifices," she sighed. "Let's just get in and out as prompt as we can." Zuko's crew stepped in, all looking in at the world in disbelief ("Did the moon just talk?").

"Let's hurry up, before I end up killing myself," Zuko snapped. He began to walk into the lighted city. "This place is fucking bright!" he snarled.

"Well, sucks for you, Zu, doesn't it," she smirked at his annoyance. "Shall we?"

The group walked into the well lighted city, receiving terrified looks from the people. Zuko was pleased to see that some part of the town was ramshackle. Hiashi wasn't, though. For some reason, she was bothered. She shook her head, turning away from the people. "It's just my luck I have to see this. It's like Engoku is following my everywhere." She sighed, but kept walking. Zuko's eye twitched, but he wasn't sure whether it was because he heard her, or whether it was because he had just seen someone with pink hair.

_That's disturbing._

"Wait," Hiashi said suddenly, coming to a halt.

"What the hell is it now?" Zuko snarled.

"I think I spot them," she replied. "They're advancing to the citadel."

"You heard her!" he snarled. She looked at him with amazement. "After them!" The men, along with Zuko, all ran off, but Hiashi was frozen in her spot. Usually in cases like this, he would have dismissed her theory, calling her a stupid girl. But he actually listened to her. He had actually taken what she said as an order. She shook off the feeling, following them from behind. They soon reached the castle, but they were nowhere in sight.

"Damn it, I distinguished them! That stupid bison isn't exactly problematical to spy, nor is it that unproblematic to conceal."

"This is what I get for listening to you," Zuko groaned. "I knew I shouldn't have done something so stupid." He was back. "Damn it!"

"What was that I heard?" a man from inside of the gate of the castle. "It sounded like a sound of hatred."

"What the hell do you care?" Zuko snapped at him.

"Well, if you knew any better, it's illegal to frown. It's also illegal to not be having fun. Well, as far as the people know."

"Well, I have fun frowning," Zuko sneered. "Try to loop that one." The man came from the shadows. The man had crimson skin, and darker red hair, slicked back. He was just one big chili pepper.

"I like your style, sir," the man smiled. "Guards, let them in. I would like to talk to this group." The guards looked at him, but shrugged, letting his group in through the gate. "Follow me; I would like to talk to you."

Zuko gritted his teeth, but Hiashi gave the okay. He didn't want to follow her, but seeing that he really had no choice, he followed anyways. The man led them into a wide meeting room, where he sat down behind a table. "Have a seat," he said, gesturing to two chairs.

"I'll pass," Zuko mumbled. "I need to do something. There's someone here I need to get, so unless you hurry-."

"Does this person have the blue clothes, or maybe it is the one with the green. Maybe it is the one who has a blue arrow on his head? Why don't you answer?"

"What do you know?" Zuko snarled, slamming a flaming fist on the table. The man looked at him.

"I have seen them here earlier. They left, but don't worry; I want to get rid of them too. They are ruining my plan. And I hate those Funicans they are traveling with. They killed my father, and because of that, I want to rid Funland of all joy it once had."

"How is that germane to why we are here?" Hiashi questioned. "You convey us in here because you like the way he thinks, yet you're natter about things we don't even heed about." The man began to groan.

"Sir, are you okay?" she asked.

"Knowledgeable words give the Sloth family major headaches. That is what killed my father.

"Knowledgeable words?" Hiashi said skeptically. "That is asinine." The man groaned again.

"Would you just **shut _up_**?" Zuko snapped at her. She bit her tongue, preventing herself from lashing out. Her stomach wouldn't let her forget the last time she did something like that. "So why are we here?" Zuko asked him again, noticeably becoming inpatient.

The man waited before speaking. "My plan was to rid Funland of all cheer it has. They killed my father, so they deserve it. But those people are here, and they might ruin my plan. So, I'm sending out my troops to assist you."

"Please," Zuko scoffed, "do you seriously think they could help me? I don't need any help."

"Then get out," the man said bluntly. "You either allow me to help, or you can leave and I'll deal with it myself."

"What makes you think I'll listen?" Zuko asked.

"Seriously," the man laughed, "a person like you would go mad in a place like this in no more than an hour."

Zuko growled. "You damn bastard."

The man laughed and smiled at him. "I knew that we could agree on this."

"I don't even know you!" Zuko practically shouted. "How the hell am I supposed to say I agreed with you if I don't even know your name?"

The man laughed again. "I'm Lord Cattivo."

'-'

"So are you sure you saw them?" Tsuchi asked for the tenth time.

"Positive," Sokka affirmed. "I saw them walking down one of the roads, then they started to chase us."

"It's a good thing we got away," Aang sighed. "Who knows what could have happened."

"I know," Bo Bob said, looking behind them. "Lord Cattivo's men are after us now!" They didn't waste any time. They all ran on Appa, and in matters of seconds, they flew out of the way.

"Don't let them get away again!" Zuko snapped. With a powerful blow, he sent a barrier of flames right at them. Everyone started to help. Zuko's men (and Hiashi) started to aim, shooting flames, while Cattivo's men were shooting at random. It wasn't until long when—

"Mary Sue!" Bo Bob cried as she fell from the overgrown bison. Aang didn't stall. He dived after her, creating a pillow of air under her.

"Than-."

Before she could thank him, they were surrounded. "Don't try to escape," Zuko snarled.

"I say the same," Lord Cattivo laugh.

"Say this, you psychos!" Sokka yelled. A boomerang came shooting out of nowhere, hitting Lord Cattivo in the head (in Funland, you don't die; you just get really big boo-boos. Look at Bo Bob and Mary Sue; they're like almost 400 years old! Unless under certain circumstances) causing him to fall to the ground. In less than a second, they were all engaged in another battle. But one problem: the Funicans weren't much fighters. Bo Bob and Mary Sue weren't very good against the Fire Benders and their army wasn't any better. They only were armed with swords, and something that shot something else, which was also hard to explain. Of course, even though they didn't know it, Funicans weren't so use to fighting.

"Hey," the Lieutenant whispered to Hiashi. "You can do better planning. End this now. So what if they get away? We can plan ahead."

Hiashi thought for a moment. If she hurried with the calculations, she could probably plan ahead, but only if she could get back and to do that she would have to stop this. He was right. But she was almost struck down by her sister. "Don't think I'm daft, woman," she snapped. "How do you think I got here?"

"Fate," her sister snarled. She twisted around, in order to perform a back kick, but her sister prevented her. With a swift land and kick, she knocked her sister clean off of the floor.

"I have better things to do than to fight an amateur," she smiled. She jumped over her, running over to a new predator. But someone stopped her- with a rock.

"Damn it, don't stand around!" Zuko barked. "Help me!" She bit her lip, keeping herself from laughing.

_A rock. What a loser!_

"Leave our town, you evil lady!" Bo Bob yelled, suddenly 'attacking' her, using the term loosely. He began hitting her, but not so hard.

"You've got to be kidding me," she mumbled. She lifted her leg, and kicked him down to the floor. "Fighting you is like fighting air." She walked away, considering their defenses were just about five to one.

Sokka had slunk away, the crowd of soldiers much too wide. He was about to get Katara when a hand reached out and pulled him into the forest next to them. "Tsuchi, what the heck was that for?" he whispered sharply.

"We need to get out of here now!" she whispered. "If we don't then we could be stuck here. Who knows what can happen!" He stared at her.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" he asked. "Let's hurry!" He slunk back, looking for his sister.

Aang had nearly hit him, a stone whizzed past Zuko's head. He shot a series of small flames at him, one actually hitting Aang in the head. Remembering what Arekin had taught him, he moved his hands in the position. With one swift movement, Zuko nearly fell into a ditch. "Crapdammit!" he snarled, adjusting himself. "You son of a-." The earth below him began to rise, soon enough, the ditch was gone, and so was Aang. Hiashi was standing by, now engaged in a fight with the Avatar. Barely missing many attacks, she had struck him, nearly causing him to fall to the ground. But one lethal shot missed him, heading right to—

"**_AAAAAHHHHHH_**!" Lord Cattivo shrilled. "WHY ME? WHA DID I DO TO THE PEOPLE? NOOOOOOO!" Of course, now was a terrible time to find out why water wasn't around Funland.

"I'll help you, sir!" Aang said to him. Using Katara's flask, he bended the water around him.

"NO WAIT!" he screamed. Once the water touched his skin, he began to burn.

"That was a bad idea," Mary Sue said no emotion in her voice.

"Why?" Katara asked.

"Well, here, water is as dangerous as acid."

Aang's eyes grew. Of course now that the Zuko's team and Cattivo's army was distracted, the eight of them slipped away, down into the forest. They were quiet, not sure as what words to say. Aang spoke first.

"I'm sorry with what we brought to you," he apologized.

"That's alright, dear," Mary Sue smiled.

"You ridded us of another troublesome leader," Bo Bob thanked.

"Maybe now Funland can become a democracy instead of a monarchy."

Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Tsuchi looked at each other. "I'm sure it will," Tsuchi smiled, not really sure as to what a democracy was.

"Will we ever see you again?" Bo Bob asked hopefully.

"We don't know," Aang said, "maybe. We don't know." They exchanged good byes, and with one second to spare, they were off into the next world.

'-'

Well, I'm sorry to all of my homedoggys out there. I hope this was enjoyable. I would like to thank my friend Cynthia for this world. Let's give her a cyber round of applause? (Claps). Well, who wants to see the original? Hey Cynthia, can I post your story? Nod once for yes and twice for no. Well, this was fun. I just wish I could have dwelled on it longer, but I have to speed though a lot of places. Next world, it's just going to be Zuko and Hiashi, since there won't be any evil people there. Well, the place isn't not evil, it's just more realistic. Which this will make the people be weirded out. If you want your world to be in my story, tell me now so I can arrange the stuff. Now I'm sure that most people are wondering how the languages are all the same. Well, in the near future, there are going to be language barriers which will cause some problems. Why am I telling you this? Because I'm procrastinating on going to bed. I was going to say something else, but right now, I forgot.

NEHO, I went to go see 'Howl's Moving Castle' with my sister, her friend… and Adrian. His car is small. Well, the movie was great. When it comes out, you people really need to see it. There are flame things in it, and the attack Zuko executed in this chapter is similar to it. Man, Caldivar is so cool (I think that's how you spell his name)! He's the best. And it met Fred Ladd! Who's that, some may ask? Well, to all you anime savvy out there, he helped bring the first animes to America and helped translate them. I got his autograph. And I past the Nickelodeon Studio too! I forgot my cell phone, so my sister took a picture of the Avatar poster they had because I was going crazy that I didn't have a copy. It really sucks that they didn't have a Danny Phantom one. I'm so mad. Oh well. And like I said before, to anyone who may want to know some things, I will be mentioning in the future, you have to read 'A Series of Past.' I checked my stats, and whether it was me trying to proofread it or not, but so far 18 people have read it. I thank those 18 people. Well, until next time, Signing Off!


	20. Hôtel du Théâtre

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: Huh. Well, there isn't much to say. Wow, this sounds really stupid.

Chapter twenty: Hôtel du Théâtre

'-'

"Wow," the four of them whispered in amazement. A large metropolis surrounded them; buildings reached high, streets filled with people and automatic transportation, lights that were luminescent alone, buildings had paintings on the windows, businesses inside, the people were all clean, and no sign of poverty filled the air. There was only one peculiarity: it was all inside a cave.

"How did they fit this all in here?" Aang said in amazement.

"That's your only question?" Sokka asked. "Why is it in a mountain in the first place?"

"According to my calculations," Tsuchi began to explain, "Weather conditions here are deadly, so probably their only recourse is to hide in a cave."

"This is so pretty," Katara sighed. "Why can't the other worlds be like this?" Appa groaned, reminding them of his presence.

"We forgot he was here!" Sokka hissed. "What are we going to do?" But no one in the town seemed to notice him. They kept walking, going about their usual business. They shrugged.

"I guess it doesn't matter," Aang smiled. "Maybe as long as he stays on the ground, we'll be okay." The three of them shook their heads, but if he was right, then they had nothing to worry about. They started walking, looking around at the sights. The people seemed friendly, all neat. They of course had different attire. Most of the women wore long fluffy dresses, some decorated with lace, while others were quite plain. Most of the men were wearing pants that had straps attached to them, moving over their shoulders, or more clean suits. With outfits like that, it was no wonder that the people were staring at _them_.

"We stand out like a sore thumb," Sokka whispered to them.

"It's no different than the other places," Katara whispered back.

"We need some money," Tsuchi broke the news. "I mean, what are the chances-."

"Hurry up, Hasmik!" someone called behind them. "Mom isn't going to wait!"

"Hold on, Horicon," another voice replied. "This isn't exactly light. And besides, can't they wait?" The group smiled, all thinking the same thing.

"I can help," Sokka piped up, walking over to the people who were talking. The three looked at him, but followed. The girl and boy stopped.

The two were obviously related, both sharing the same grey eyes, the same chocolate hair, the same light skin tone, and the same five foot five girl hadshorthair up to her shoulder with bangs brushing her forehead, a black dress and a white apron on with black had strange glass implements in front of her eyes that had hooks on the side that wrapped around her ears. Her brother had hair spiked up about three centemeters above his head. He too wore black. Black pants, a blackjacket, and black shoes, but he had a white shirt."Who the hell are you?" the boy asked. "Go away, we don't need help."

"Are you sure your sister doesn't need it?" Katara asked, a bit annoyed.

"Yeah, are you sure your sister doesn't need it?" the girl repeated.

"Shut up, Hasmik. You don't need help!" he snapped. "We've got it under control, so you can leave."

"Well, we're sorry for offering!" Sokka said offensively. "Next time if you're at the hands of death, don't call for help!"

"Forgive him, he can be a bit of an idiot some times," the girl apologized with a slight glow to her voice. "I'm Hasmik."

"I'm Sokka, and this is my sister Katara, her friend Aang, and some girl we picked up named Tsuchi."Tsuchi hissed at him

"What odd names. Oh, and this is my older brother, Horicon. He can be daft a lot." She held out her hand. They shook, buther brothestared at her, eyes narrow.

"I'm sure he is. How old are you, thirteen or something?" Aang asked him.

"I'm seventeen, you moron!" he nearly yelled. Sokka coughed.

"Wow, you're really short,"Sokka mumbled.

"It kind of runs in the family," Hasmik admitted. "Here," she dumped some bags into Sokka's arms. "You don't mind carrying them, right?"

"Of course not," he lied.

"Whatever it takes to get off of the street," Tsuchi mumbled.

"Why don't we ride on your albino Morrissey?" Horicon asked them. "It seems roomy enough."

"What? Oh, Appa's tired," Aang said to him.

"You named it?" he laughed. "Appa's a dum-." Hasmik cut him off with her elbow.

"That's quite alright," Hasmik said in a rush. ""Why don't we go to the hotel now? Mom isn't going to be too happy if we're late."

"Nor will she be too happy that we brought back food _and_ strangers," Horicon grumbled. She glared at him, but against her brother's will, she led them down the road. The cobblestone streets were reflecting on the self glowing lights, odd animals dragging carts that were full of people, some of the other carts weren't being pulled by anything, but rather moved by itself; almost like a ship on land. The people didn't at all look upset. The inside of the dome just was glowing with peace. The homes were all organized; some of the homes were upstairs in the business, while others were neatly in a different part. Some houses even had two stories or more to them! A spacious empty field of nothing but grass, trees, and flowers sat in the middle of the town, benches and a water feature in the middle, a walkway running down the middle and across. Birds flew above them, not seeming to mind the limited amount of space there was. A squirrel like creature had darted across the road, up a tree. Before they knew it, Hasmik and Horicon had led them across town to a more urban neighborhood. It was more lighted, and more people seemed to reside there.

"Where exactly are we going?" Aang asked them.

"Here," Hasmik smiled, coming to a stop. The four of them looked up. "Behold: Hôtel du Théâtre!" The building was grand, moving up what seemed to be six levels, but stretched out. The walls were made of a beige stone, the roof made with green tile. On the entrance way, a large fluorescent light flaunted off the phrase: Hôtel du Théâtre dinner and performance. The light was a beacon out to the entire town.

"Hasmik," Horicon said to his sister. "It's just a hotel. Give it up."

"It's not just a hotel!" she said to him. "Along the streets of historic Metz, this hotel facing the Cathedral offers an idealistic location for touring the city with over 3,000 years of history! The hotel rooms are furnished with 18th century Lorraine pieces. This 17th century home has embraced the Lorraine tradition! Since 1649, Lorraine tradition is celebrated in regional attire at the Restaurant du Pont Saint Michel. A selection of over 200 vintage wines, a dining hall, and performances by the best musicians in Metz, this makes it the idealistic place to stay."

"Wow, that is so cool," Aang sighed in amazement.

"You've memorized the brochure?" he shouted, flabbergasted. "That's fucking stupid! Come on, mom's gonna be really pissed if we're late." He advanced to the side of the building, the others following behind. He pulled out a key, but he turned to Aang. "That thing's gotta stay out here," he said. "It ain't gonna fit through the door." Aang looked at Appa, sighed, and tied him up to a bar.

"Don't worry boy, I'll come back for you," he assured. The bison groaned.

"Great, the kid's going crazy. You, with the blue shirt and big ears, you have our stuff. Follow me." Horicon walked inside, Sokka trying to look at his ears. Hasmik glared at her brother as they walked through the back door.

"Aren't you guys coming?" she asked the other three.

"Can we?" Katara asked.

"Sure," she smiled, waltzing in. The shrugged, and followed her in.

"What took so long?" a woman snapped. "Put the supplies on the table and get out there! A man has been waiting for his food for forty-five minutes!"

"Sorry!" Horicon snapped, putting his bags on the table. "Hasmik had to go and make friends on the way!" He nodded to Sokka, who had just sat the bags he had on the table.

"Who the hell are they?" the woman asked. She looked a lot like Hasmik and Horicon, with the same chocolate hair up in a bun, but her face was more stern.

"Sorry mom," Hasmik said apologetic, "but we do need help, don't we?"

"But you bring urchins in?" she snapped.

"Hey!"the fourshouted offensively.

"They can't help us! Imagine what the customers would think!"

"Who says they have to serve outside?" she asked.

"It's the busy season, Hasmik, and we need as many people out there as we can get, but we can't get random shmos off the streets. Did you get a background check? For all we know, they're criminals, or they're being chased. Who knows." The four of them exchanged glances. "Well, did you?"

"No," Hasmik mumbled. Horicon smirked with pleasure.

"Well, then they're not allowed," their mother said bluntly. "You services aren't needed here."

"Ma'am," Tsuchi started, "we just need a place to stay for at least three days, but we don't have any money. We could well work off staying here. We don't mind what kind of chores we're stuck with, but might you consider the offer?"

"Hell no!" she shouted. "I run a strict business! No résumé, no deal!" She turned on her nicely two inch thin heel, and walked away, her apron twisting with her black dress. Hasmik sighed.

"Sorry, guys," she apologized.

"Now go away," Horicon smirked. "We've got a business to run, and I've got to check in the band playing tonight. We didn't spent five months booking Soleil for nothing.

"Are they playing tonight?" Hasmik asked.

"Don't change the subject!" he snapped. "Get rid of them!" He walked away too, leaving Hasmik with them alone.

"Sorry, you guys," she repeated. "This isn't exactly the first time this has happen. I don't know why, but my family doesn't seem to trust me with getting help."

"So now what are we going to do?" Aang sighed.

"I'm really sorry," she sighed. "Look, if you need any money, I can loan you some for your troubles-."

"No, that's fine," Katara smiled.

"Actually, we could probably use some-," Sokka started, but was cut off by Katara's glare. "But we do." Hasmik had already started digging through a leather pouch on the strap around her white apron, and pulled outa thickbundle ofpaper. She licked the ends of her fingers and began to count them.

"Here," she finally said, handing them the bundle. "5,700 shillings. This should be enough for a place to stay and some food. If you need any more, you can come and ask me."

"Seriously, you don't have to," Aang said.

"Well, with all of the problems I've caused today, a couple of thousands won't hurt."

"But how much is that exactly," Katara asked.

"Well, let's see…" She thought for a moment, counting on her fingers. "It's enough to get you a cheep hotel downtown for three days, and enough for a few meals." She paused. "I better give you more."

"NO!" they shouted in unison.

"But you at least need more. Maybe another hundred…"

"It's fine, we'll just be leaving!" Tsuchi stammered. Before they could leave, Horicon stormed into the kitchen, not entirely pleased, carrying a plate of some oddly shaped meat and colorful vegetables.

"Well if you don't like the food, make it your fucking self!" he grumbled under his breath. "You want something unorthodox, go eat out of the garbage, you rich bastard!" He dumped the plate and all its contents in the sink, streaming out a list of curse words.

"What's the matter, Horicon?" Hasmik asked.

"Some rich S. O. B sent back her food because it wasn't 'exotic' enough. Lady you live in a cave for Lord's sake! This is about as exotic as it'll get! Why are _they_ still here?"

They looked at Tsuchi. She knew what they were thinking. "Sir, I can cook."

"Good for you," he said sarcastically. "Why are you still here?"

"Why don't I cook something for this lady?"

"We're looking for food, not trash. Get out of here before I contact the authorities."

"Can't you just give them a chance?" Hasmik pleaded.

"No," he stated.

"Why not?"

"Because we don't know them! How many times must I try to get it through your thick head? We don't know them, we can't trust them, and therefore, they can't stay!"

"Let's make a bet," Tsuchi said. She wasn't about to allow someone call them untrustworthy. "I'll make a meal for this person. If she likes it, then we can stay, so long as we work for our keep. If she's dissatisfied, then we'll leave. Deal?"

"No cash prize?" Horicon said disappointed. "Damn. Fine, I'll take that little bet. Just so you know, Madam Zuddas has higher taste than any of you jerks. If she gets sick, not only will you be leaving, you'll be staying in jail. Be my uninvited guest." He pointed in the direction of the cooking implements, waiting for her to make a move. She looked around, but decided to start. Walking over, pretending she knew what to do, she grabbed some vegetables, and started to cut swiftly. "She ain't gonna make it. She'll be singing 'Pénitencier Rocks' by the end of the day." He walked away, singing to a song they had never heard.

"Tsuchi, do you know what you're doing?" Sokka hissed.

"You don't have to do this," Hasmik whispered.

"Oh, yes I do," she smiled. "I'm gonna make sure that lady'll eat it all to the last bite. And she'll enjoy it." She didn't say anything else, pretty soon, absorbed in cut and fixing whatever she was making.

"This is stupid," Hasmik sighed. "Madam Zuddas has very sophisticated taste, and I'm not sure if you know what she likes. Why don't I just give you money and you can be on your way? I don't mind giving you my paycheck. I'm fine with it."

"But that'd be too much trouble. We'll work for our money, right?"

"Right," Aang smiled.

"Right," Katara said.

"No," Sokka mumbled.

"But he will anyways," Katara said stiffly.

"I don't know… My brother might allow it, but my mother's a different story. She might have a different opinion on you guys staying." She looked at her wrist, revealing a beautiful bracelet; silver chain-linked with a small circle the size of a thumbnail. Encased inside with a glass cover, twelve number/letters counted down in a circle, moving in a circle going to the left. Three small hands were inside. One was short, pointing more near the letter V; another was longer, pointing in between the letters XII and I; the last hand was the same length as the other, only it was thinner, and it was moving every second in a circle around the inside. All of the hands were a gold color, the face of the inside white; all of the number/letters were black. "Damn, the dinner rush is going to start in an hour. I have to leave. Seriously are you sure-."

"Done," Tsuchi exclaimed. "What do you think?" she asked them. They looked at the meal she had created. It was decorated with the vegetables she had found around the outside of the plate. In the center was some fine cut meat with a sauce she had also found and something looked familiar: she had kept a little bit of rice from their world, which, since it was dry, had not perished. The meat sat on top of the rice, the juice from the peculiar meat absorbed into it. "Do you think this is enough?"

"It looks good," Hasmik smiled, obviously wishing she could taste it. "Where'd you get the white seeds from?"

"Uh, I had them," she said slowly. "I think I might have more."

"Are you done?" Horicon yelled. "She's getting pretty pissed and the music can only withhold her for so long." He walked into the busy kitchen and looked at the meal. "What'd you use, road kill?"

"She cooked it," Hasmik defended. "I saw her!"

"Whatever," he said. "As long as it doesn't kill her." He picked up the plate and walked out the door. "They'll be behind bars pretty soon."

'-'

Yeah, to whoever might know, this world looks like a mall called 'Victoria Gardens' only it's inside a cave due to weather conditions. And they're the closest thing to Earth so far. It's kind of like late 1800s early 1900s. With some calculations, 5,700 shillings is about equivalent to about $216.60. Until next time, Signing Off.


	21. What does Didier Lambert de Loulay have

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: I can take on my own characters now, 'cuz I learned some new moves!

**BlackYankee**: Wee! You like the story! The convention sounds like fun! I'll ask.

Chapter twenty-one: What does Didier Lambert de Loulay have to do with it?

Another note: This is to my bestest friend in the whole world, linkfreak, who just recently lost her guinea pig. I feel really bad, and even though this chapter won't help any, it's still something, and she did the same thing when my mouse died. Remember to smile, linkfreak!

'-'

The five of them waited inside the dining hall, watching all of the rich and high class people eat. The orange-red interior and tables draped with red table cloths reflected off of the tea candles on the table. People sat in upright chairs, something you wouldn't see at a table where people eat. A stage was at the far end of the hall, right now, someone singing out a song they had never heard before.

"There's the woman you cooked the meal for," Hasmik said quietly, pointing to a rather tall woman dressed in white. "She's very rich and has high taste. It's always so difficult to serve her. She rents our deluxe suite every time she comes to Metz. I once had the 'delight' of serving her. Boy, I sure will remember that incident. The back of my head and that champagne bottle won't let me forget. You guys better pray she likes what you made. If not, let the Lord help us all."

"What kind of a place is this?" Aang asked in awe, looking around the dimly lit place.

"Hôtel du Théâtre is a four star hotel, restaurant, and performance hall. Most of our guests are high class business men who come here on, well business. Many others, like Madam Zuddas, come here because they can. My mother has run the business every since my father left, and her shift is tight. During the busy season is the hardest. Last year, she fired at least twenty people because they didn't work as fast on their feet as she hoped they would. My brother, Horicon, isn't any help. He's assistant manager, and he too runs a tight shift. They didn't bother to put me in any position. I'm a little bit below the scullions. I don't mind that much, but it gets a bit exasperating because my family doesn't trust me with handling things. I hate to admit it, but I'm a bit of a klutz sometimes."

"Either way, this place is very nice," Katara commented.

"Where are you guys from?" Hasmik suddenly asked. "I haven't seen you around, so you're obviously not from Metz, but your clothes say you're not from around here. Are you from out of the borders, like in Monaco or La Turbie?"

"Sure," Sokka stammered, "we'll go with that."

A new song picked up, a deeper and darker beat.

_"Si ta ko e teï  
si vi kae naï  
a moru la ni léi zeï  
asta lo la weï  
travé sai prai  
ikoraë cami  
undré rueï…"_

"What language is this in?" Tsuchi asked, obviously intrigued with the sound.

"It's in français. We stopped using about two hundred years ago, but it's still great, and it's popular with musicians."

"Hasmik!" a sharp whispered called from behind them. The turned around and Horicon was standing in the adjacent kitchen door. "When are they leaving?"

"Madam Zuddas hasn't even said anything!" she whispered back. "Why must they leave? What if she actually likes it?"

"She won't!" he said simply. Now why don't you leave? I already told mom."

"You did what?" she hissed, voice rising a bit.

"And she told me to call the police. Now," he stopped. "You're smart, right? Why don't you put two and two together?"

"You guys have to leave!" she said quickly. Now!"

"That's the spirit!" he said happily. "But unfortunately, they can't."

"Why not?"

"Because, the police are already here," a voice said from behind Horicon. The five looked up to see Hasmik's mother standing behind Horicon with about four superior looking people with black jackets, black pants, black caps, black shoes, and black clubs with shiny silver badges. The men pulled out handcuffs, but these ones were thinner and more compact than the ones they had back where they came from. But before the cuffs could even become latched to them, one of the butlers came up to them.

"Ah, miss, might I speak to you?" he asked the mother.

She eyed him, looked at the officers, and slowly nodded to the butler.

"Madam Zuddas would like to give her gratitude the cook who served her the delightful meal. She says that it was the best thing she had ever tasted and has left," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, "this." Her eyes widened. Hasmik gasped.

"Damn!" Horicon laughed. "2,700 shillings? That's the best tip we've had! She gave us that much for that shit they served?"

"What do you mean '_they_?'" his mother asked slowly, turning to her son.

"Ah, well, you see," he stuttered, clearly nervous that he was caught. "I, well, it's kind a- sort of like a-. See… I might have… made a bet… with them."

"You did what?" she nearly shouted. She bit her tongue, then she pushed everyone inside the kitchen. "What the hell do you mean by a bet?"

"We made a bet," Tsuchi came forward. "I would make a meal for this person. If she liked it, then we could stay, so long as we worked for our keep. If she was dissatisfied, then we would leave." Everyone except for Horicon nodded in agreement.

"Is this girl telling the truth?" she asked quietly.

Horicon glared at them. He sighed. "Yes, mother, it's the truth. I didn't rely on the fact they might have succeeded. It was-."

"Very stupid!" she snapped, hitting him in the back of the head with an open palm. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"OW!" he said bluntly. "What make you think I was?"

"Ms. Karapetyan," one of the officer said, "is there going to be an arrest or not?"

She sighed. "There isn't," she sad sadly. "I'll have to deal with this one, though." Horicon scowled, but didn't say anything. "Sorry for the inconvenience, officers."

"Not a problem, ma'am," another smiled. They walked through the back door, bidding their last goodbyes. Once the officers were out of earshot, that was when their mother erupted.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" she yelled, face turning red. "THESE PEOPLE AREN'T TRAINED IN SERVING PROPERLY!"

"I'm sorry mom!" he shouted. "I thought they'd lose!"

"SO THAT'S A GOOD REASON TO GAMBLE ON OUR REPUTATION? WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND?"

"I said I was sorry!" he repeated. "How many times must I tell you that?"

Ms. Karapetyan grabbed Horicon by the ear. "Their stay is coming out of _your_ paycheck." She started out of the kitchen with him.

"Ow- are you just going to drag me out of the kitchen-ow?"

"I'm taking your ear. If the rest of you want to come, then that's fine." She walked out, all of the scullions and cooks watching, trying hard not to laugh. They resumed work, but the five were still standing in their spots.

"Wow, that's really mortifying," Sokka laughed.

"Yeah, but at least you guys won. That should teach my brother not to make bets," Hasmik sighed. "Well, being the only person available," she turned to them, "I guess I better assign you work. You're apparently good at cooking, so you're working in the kitchen," she said, pointing to Tsuchi. "You," she said, pointing to Katara," what can you do?"

She thought for a moment. "I don't know. That's kind of hard to say-."

"Alright, you work night shift in the hall. You can clean, right?" Katara nodded. Sokka began to laugh.

"You," she pointed to Sokka. "I don't know what you can do, so you'll be running errands: picking up stuff, running across town, et cetera."

"Aw man," he groaned.

"You," pointing to Aang. She looked over him and frowned. "Sorry, but the tattoos might upset some people, so you'll… you know, you'll work night shifts too. Is everyone alright with their jobs?" They all nodded, except of Sokka, who just frowned. "Alright. I'll address you a room."

'-'

The day had gone by simply. They didn't have to work, except for Tsuchi and Sokka. They were lucky that animals were allowed, but Appa still had to stay downstairs; he was too big to fit in the room. Katara and Aang spent the day with Sokka as he made rounds getting supplies. The whole place was just a quiet little thing, just so perfect. But that was in the midday. The nighttime was when the criminals came out. But Hasmik assured them things were okay. "No one's coming here. We haven't had a break in for ten years." That wasn't very assuring.

Like promised, Katara and Aang were working in the dining hall, cleaning up as everyone had left. The cleaners were using different devices, a strange machine with a box attached to a stick, apparently sucking up all of the dirt. Others were using a yellow colored liquid in a bottle, spraying the tables and wiping it with a cloth. "Here," Horicon mumbled, "take this and clean that side of the hall. Pick up all of the plates and put them on one of those carts. Hasmik will be over there if you need anything, blah, blah, blah, and so on. Don't bother me, I'm going to be counting the finances." He walked away to the bar, putting on some of the same glass frames as Hasmik had, and started writing away in a notebook.

They started with the far end, working their way across. They had a bit of trouble working the odd bottles, but had it down three tables later. Hasmik was working with the box on a stick, working her way through the room. Before the others had reached their fifth table, she was already working on the stage, sweeping and moping it, putting out the flames of the stage lights with a small instrument. She walked down the steps, looking at their progress. "You guys are doing a good job, but you might want to do that table again," she commented. "What are your names again?"

"Katara."

"Aang."

"I'm not going to remember that. I hope you don't mind."

"That's alright," Aang smiled.

"Hey!" Horicon snapped from across the room. "Stop talking and get to work!" He went back to his work. Hasmik just frowned and went back to talking.

"Look, I thank you guys for not complaining. Are you sure you guys wouldn't rather be in a different hotel?" she whispered.

"We're fine, seriously," Katara assured. "We don't-."

"Mr. Karapetyan!" a man shouted, running into the hall.

"What the hell? I'm working here! This better be important!"

"This is!" the man said happily. "You remember my cousin, Sylvie, right?"

"What happened now, her mekcat died and you get half of the insurance policy she had on it?"

"Uh, no," he said slowly. "Anyways, her husband has connections to the manager to, get this… Didier Lambert de Loulay!" He stared at him. The man waited for a reaction and when he came up empty, he repeated: "Didier Lambert de-."

"I heard you!" Horicon snapped. "Can you afford him? Because I sure can't! My paycheck is going to their room!" He jerked his head in their direction. The three of them pretended to clean, while still listening. "So unless you have the money to pay for them, I suggest you learn to think before you act. We're in a serious ditch here and we can't afford such luxuries. That would be nice if he could come, but right now, that's going to be a little hard. To have him play here is probably going to cost us, like, what, 40,000 shillings? That's your pay check in a month. Now, I thank you for telling me, but we don't have the money! Now go and do something useful. Go and do something butler-ish." He picked up his pen and began to jot down some notes.

"But sir," the man stumbled, "I-I didn't finish what I was going to say." Horicon slammed the pen on the bar's counter.

"What?" he barked.

"I was going to say he offered to do a free show the day after tomorrow. I-if you didn't want him to play, then-."

"A free show?" he asked skeptically. "No one does a free show without there being a catch."

"All he says is that he wants to play, so long as he gets a tour of the hotel."

Horicon gave him a blank stare. "What time," he asked calmly. "I need to clear up the time slot."

"About eight, eight-thirty?"

"Call and confirm. I don't want to clear out a time slot and learn he can't play then." He went back to his work, leaving the man standing there. Horicon groaned. "You can go now!" he said to him.

"Yessir," the man said quickly, rushing out of the room. Horicon stopped, looking over to them. "What the hell are you staring at? Get back to work!" The three immediately dropped their heads, continuing on the tables.

"What was that about?" Katara whispered as quietly as she could, but still loud enough to be heard.

"Didier Lambert de Loulay is the greatest violin musician in Metz. To have him and his orchestra play is something my mother has been wishing for a long time. To have him play here is such an honor, but his acts are very expensive. To have someone like him play here would cost up at least 40,000 shillings, which is why we never booked him. Now, I guess he's playing for free. "

Aang frowned. "We'll be leaving by then, won't we, Katara?"

"Tsuchi said it wouldn't be until later in the night. I think. But as long as… well," she had forgotten Hasmik was there. "Well, as long as nothing happens during that period, we're in the clearing, right?"

'-'

"Erroneous," Hiashi lashed out at herself. "This is all erroneous. How did I contract that resolution? I'm a fucking idiot!" She swiped her arm over her mirror, erasing all of her work. It was once again, several hour and extremely late in the night, and while everyone was asleep, she was wide awake, trying to figure out the time difference between them and the Avatar. She had tried several different realms, but none seemed to match up. Not from what she saw. She groaned loudly, throwing herself on her bed. Hyroki decided to sleep with the other crew members, not wanting to be kept awake with her constant movements and talking. She sighed into her pillow, trying to figure out what she was doing wrong. Sooner than it could be avoided, she was in the same place she had been before. She plunged deeper in the conscious unconsciousness (wow, what an oxymoron!) Her mind began to wander again. She began to see images dancing in her head. It seemed to know what to choose, for it picked out a world inside of what seemed to be an enclosed environment. Automatic transportation, self luminescent lights, clean… then another name appeared, attached to a voice.

_"Behold: Hôtel du Théâtre!" _

She saw a stage inside a hall, tables all around draped with red cloths. That had to be the place. There was just that question as to where it was…

She arose from her state of oblivion, shaking her head vigorously. "What the hell is wrong with me?" she mumbled to herself. This had been the second time this had happened, and she had no idea what it was. The first time, the images were right, so maybe they were right again? She didn't know. "No use adjourning," she mumbled to herself. She stood up and walked to her notes. She fished trough the pile of note before coming across a paper jotted down with notes:

_Planet 18932: Rough weather conditions, strong winds, storms and floods. Total distance: 34359738368_

_34359738368÷2 (35x) 1_

"Wow, that's essentially utilitarian," she smiled to herself. For once, they could relax a bit. But then again, she doubted Zuko would rest. If anything, he'd try to cram an entire training session in those few days. "So, we should depart for the next world in about four days. Maybe if we interrupt them on the third day. That should entice them." At this point, they were wandering around aimlessly, apparently trying to elude someone by the name of Zhao. It mystified her as to who he was, but she never said anything. It seemed when the man's name was mentioned, he'd get infuriated, so she thought it best not to say anything. She seemed to have bad luck with saying things in inappropriate times.

"Speaking of which…" She checked the map she had. They were about two kilometers away from Engoku.

'-'

Oh, in a few more chapters, her stomach will be churning. Until next time, Signing Off!


	22. Let Me Fall

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter twenty-two: Let Me Fall

'-'

"This is so much fun," Aang chimed, cleaning up on the second day. It was another long day for them, and they learned earlier that day they could stay and watch Didier Lambert de Loulay perform. So far, everything was in the clearing. Horicon still hated them all, but stayed quiet, clearly trying to avoid them. Katara and Aang were alone. Hasmik had stepped out for a while, claiming to get the box on a stick.

"I guess," Katara said, bending the excess water into the bucket next to her.

"Tsuchi and Sokka don't know what they're missing," he laughed, making the water on the table ripple with a light breeze. "I wish we could stay here forever."

"You said that about the last two worlds, Aang," she said quietly. "You know we can't stay in one spot for very long." Aang sighed.

"I know. Sometimes being the Avatar is just too hard. It's just like, some days it-." The sound of shattering glass echoed in the entrance hall. The two shot their heads up, looking in the direction the sound originated from. Hasmik hastily walked into the room, walked behind the bar, and pulled out a long oddly shaped stick. It was thin on one side, slowly thickening into a handle on the other side. An iron rod went down the center. A small circular ring sat at the base of the handle and the rod, a small switch on the inside. She popped the metal rod open, revealing two small barrels with enough space to slip your thumb in. She shut it, positioned the end against the inside of her arm, holding it with both hands and cautiously walked outside. The two stayed frozen, waiting for any movements or signals. About a few minutes later, she returned, putting the weird object back behind the bar.

"What was that?" Katara asked.

"It was nothing," she said. "Someone dropped something."

"What is that thing?" Aang asked her, pointing to the item she just put back.

"Oh, this?" she asked confused. "It's a rifle. Haven't you ever seen one?" They gave her a blank stare. "I take that as a no. That's okay. Not many have seen one."

"When was the last time you actually used it?" Katara asked.

"About ten years ago, I think," she said. "I don't remember. I was only five. Someone had actually broken in. We shot a warning, since then, we haven't had any problems. Just hope we don't have to use it any time soon…"

'-'

"I hate to say this, but this next mission, I can only bring one of you," Zuko said quietly. Hiashi had told him about it last night. The world wasn't all that powerful. They had nothing special. It was just a place inside of a cave. What was the worse they had? "Now which one of you thinks you deserve to go?"

The crew remained quiet. All of them looked at each other. Hiashi just stood there, arms crossed, waiting for their answers. "No one?" They remained quiet. "So I'm going to have to choose?" They still didn't say anything. He growled, but looked among his choices. Every one of them seemed trying hard to be the person who he chose, standing up straight, shoulders back; all except for Hiashi. She just stood there, finding more interest in her hands and a floating dust ball. He walked up to her, and just stared at her. "What the hell are you doing," he asked quietly.

"Amusing myself," she said bluntly. "Any questions?"

"You find your hands much more entertaining?" he asked.

"Right now, I do." The crew was watching the two of them as she continued to dig herself a deeper grave.

"So you don't care?"

"Never have, never will." She looked up at him. "Are you going to do anything?"

He glared at her. "I'll take you."

"What?" the flabbergasted crew shouted.

"You're flippant, correct?" she asked, and even though it didn't seem it, inside, her mind was frozen. "Why the hell did you select me? You loathe me."

"I have my reasons," he said plainly. "Do you have a problem?"

"Yes," she answered. "Why not that guy?" she asked, pointing to the Lieutenant. "He's got to at least have much more experience than I do. He's, what, 35 or something? I'm- this is confusing."

"You're coming anyways, whether you like it or not," he said quietly.

"Or what?"

"Have you looked at the map recently," he asked.

"Yeah…"

"We are about two kilometers away from Engoku." He lowered his voice, making sure she was the only one who could hear him. "I don't know what's there that you're afraid of so much, but whatever it is, I'll find out. Now, you can easily accept my offer and you could avoid me leaving you there, or when we make a stop, we'll just dump youand let the gangsters finish you off. Now doesn't that sound like fun?" He apparently hit something. She began to breathe heavily.

"Yessir," she mumbled.

"That's a good girl," he smiled, obviously happy with her fear. He turned to the rest of them. "What the hell are you still standing around for? Go and do something productive." He walked away, leaving them still in a state of question, especially Hiashi.

"Are we actually stopping at Engoku," she asked the Lieutenant.

"I think so," he answered, "why?"

She frowned. "No reason," she answered quietly. "If you don't mind, I'll be… doing I don't know what." She walked off to her room.

_Damn it… why Engoku? Why not somewhere else? If they know I'm nearby… I'm going to be eradicated. There's noting about it. I'm going to get murdered…_

Only a few more hours until they had to leave.

'-'

It was almost time before Didier Lambert de Loulay was to show. The four of them were able to talk Ms. Karapetyan into allowing them to watch the show, so long as they stayed hidden and sat at a table in the back. It wasn't easy, and it sure cost them a lot more work, but with all of the work they did, it would pay off.

"How much longer will it be before that one guy gets here?" Aang asked, fairly excited.

Hasmik looked at her wrist bracelet with the dials in it. "In about an hour, maybe? Yeah, I think so." She straightened the glass frames in front of her face and flattened the creases in her dress. "Wow, this is so interesting. I've never once was so close to meeting someone famous!"

"I don't really care," Sokka mumbled. "If we go back home and tell everyone, they'll think we're nuts!"

"Just enjoy it," Tsuchi said to him. "For once, can't you just be happy with the outcome?"

"No."

Maybe it was lucky he didn't like the outcome, for there was trouble brewing outside…

'-'

"So where the hell is this place?" Zuko grumbled, for once, keeping his eyes on the road.

"We're looking for a place that's called 'Hôtel du Théâtre.' I don't know where it might be, but I'm guessing- right here." She stopped in front of a grand looking building moving up what seemed to be six levels, but stretched out. The walls were made of a beige stone, the roof made with green tile. On the entrance way, a large fluorescent light displayed the phrase: Hôtel du Théâtre dinner and performance. "I assume this is it. It matches the name."

"Well what the hell are we waiting for?" He walked up to the entrance, déjà vu all over again.

"Sir, do you have any reservations?" a bald man asked him.

"What the hell are you talking about? Let me in before I kill you!" he snarled.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you cannot gain access unless you have a reservation, are a guest, or you will be performing."

"Listen," Zuko snapped, "I don't give two shits about these damn reservations you're talking about! Unless you hate your life, you better let me in!"

"Let me check with Ms. Karapetyan," he said lazily. He picked up a weird device shaped like an 'E,' only it didn't have the middle line. He was about to talk when several of the automatic transportations pulled up. The man quickly started to punch in numbers and started to speak. "Ms. Karapetyan, Mr. Lambert de Loulay is here…… Yes ma'am…… Indeed………………… Very well… I'll make sure of it… Right away." He placed the device on the box and turned to the people who were just coming out. "Mr. Lambert de Loulay, what a pleasure it is to-."

"I fear we might have to cancel," a beefy man with a swirly moustache and balding scalp dressed in a neat black suit said to the usher. "One of our violinists could not come."

"Well, can't you make do with what you have?" the usher asked worriedly.

"Then we'd be too many short!" the man nearly shouted. "Two others already canceled on me and with three gone, we can't go on with the performance."

"But there can't- you can't possibly-." The usher sighed. "I guess I'll have to tell Ms. Karapetyan. She's going to be so upset."

"Look, perhaps we can reschedule?"

Zuko slowly turned to Hiashi. He was giving her a suspicious look.

"What?" she asked him nervously.

"Can't you play the violin?" he asked her slowly.

"Yeah…" she answered cautiously. _Why did he remember?_

"Sir," Zuko called nonchalantly, walking up to the beefy man.

"What?" the man asked.

"If you need a stand-in, I have someone who can play the instrument you're seeking." Hiashi stood in her stop, mouth agape.

"Can she play well?" the man asked.

"Can you play well?" he asked her.

She was quiet, struggling to find the right words. "Uh, I would not say I play if I did not play well," she replied.

"There you have it," he said. "But she works with me, so I have to come in too."

"That's fine!" the beefy man said happily. He looked over at Hiashi, scanning her from top to bottom. "She's going to have to get rid of the peasant outfit. I have a uniform she will need to wear."

"Has anyone asked about my opinion?" she asked loudly.

"That's fine," Zuko answered for her. She looked at him in disbelief.

"Very well, how fast can you learn a song?"

"Fast enough," he answered again.

"Perfect!" the man said joyfully. "Come on, let's go." People started to come out of the autos, about thirty men and women all together.

"Zuko, can I speak to you, _now_?" she snarled. She dragged him over, out of earshot, then she started. "What the fuck are you thinking? Did you even make an effort to consult me? Do my dealings not matter?"

"No," he answered simply. "Didn't you say the Avatar was in here?"

"Yes…"

"And we can't get in without permission."

"And since when do you act by the system?" she asked exasperatedly. "Aren't you the one who bestowed melancholy to a world free of misery? Aren't you the one who's infringed the bylaws of science by traveling between dimensions? Aren't you the one who stood up to the Fire Nation? Now since when do you act by the system, hm?"

He stayed quiet. "You're missing something, but why miss an opportunity?" He shrugged. "Now, you're going to pull through with this."

"I'm not doing it," she said. "Make me." He grabbed her tightly by the arm.

"I wonder how long you'll live on Engoku." She glowered.

"Fine," she mumbled.

"See? It's very simple if you follow my orders." He loosened his death grip, dropping her arm to her side.

"You're a real bastard, you know that?"

"I get that a lot," he smiled evilly.

'-'

"Damn it, I hate this fucking outfit," she mumbled to herself. It was way too tight for her, and the collar went way too close to the shoulder for comfort. She didn't mind the color, though. It was a black dress with red trimming and red lace, along with black meshed sleeves, but it was a problem, only one alleviated with her hair. She used it as a veil, covering as many hideous scars as she could. "Why am I doing this? I'm just going to end up in Engoku, anyways." She took in a deep breath, preparing for Zuko's criticism. She opened to door to room and stepped into the dim corridor.

"What the hell are you wearing?" a voiced laughed from the shadows. She turned to see Zuko leaning against the wall.

"Shut your noise tube, _Zu_." Even though, she couldn't see it, she could tell he was scowling at her. She laughed inside.

"Don't stand there, there's only one more performance until you go up." She walked slowly past him, but his foot stopped her.

"What?" she sighed.

"Look around for the Avatar while you're up there. They might be watching."

She stared at him, but didn't answer him. She continued walking out to the stage entrance. A man was performing right now. The melody of his song was dark and slow, his words were unusual.

_"Let me fall,  
Let me climb,  
There's a moment when fear and dreams must collide_."

_How true are those words? What an interesting song._ Not once in her life had she herd such a song. The ones even she played usually didn't have words.

Everything was shut out; all she was concentrated on was the words to the song. She turned around, surprised to see Zuko standing behind her. It seemed, too, that he was listening to the song. He stared out at the stage, or what seemed like nothing. The only thing that he was listening to was the words.

_"So, let me fall,  
if I must fall,  
I won't heed your warnings,  
I won't hear them._

All I ask,  
all I need,  
let me open whichever door I might open."

_If only people could understand that._ _Especially Sureiyaa_, she thought. Why were the words to the song speaking to her?

_"Let me fall,  
if I fall,  
all the feelings may or may not die."_

Zuko wondered the same thing, but on different terms. His father probably thought the same thing to him. But Fire Lord Ozai wouldn't suspect this. No one would. Not Zhao, not his father, no one after the Avatar. The song was just a complete opposite. _It's just words,_ he thought. _They have no meaning._

_"You can hold me only if you too will fall,  
Away from all  
these useless fears and chains._

Someone I am is waiting for my courage,  
the one I want,  
the one will become will catch me.

_So let me fall,  
If I must fall,  
I won't heed your warnings,  
I won't hear._

_Let me fall,  
if I fall.  
There's no reason to miss this one chance,  
this perfect moment,  
Just let me fall."_

The entire audience burst into applause, some even standing up. The man took a bow and exited off the opposite end. "Damn straight," Hiashi muttered to herself.

"Come on!" the beefy man called out to his orchestra. "It's show time!"

'-'

Must… resist… temptation… of… writing… stuff! –Sigh-. Well, I got out of this one. It really sucks that they can't stay in one spot forever. Oh well. Guess what? I, excuse me, my teacher entered one of my poems in this contest and something actually happened! My poem "To That Child" has been registered in The American Library of Poetry and The American Council's Poetry Contest! I can win a United States Savings Bond, Video Entertainment Package, "School's Out Shopping Spree, and the GRAND PRIZE of $500.00 US SAVINGS BONDS (that's an if. If I win) along with a certificate of some sort.

But in the mean time, the American Library of Poetry would like to publish my poem in a new book called **_Gifted_**! It's scheduled for publication in the fall and is apparently becoming a highly anticipated collection of very unique poetry o-O. Wow, my writing is unique. I'm so happy! That is sooo cool! Until next time, Signing Off!


	23. Réveil

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter twenty-three: Réveil

'-'

Hiashi inhaled deeply. She was far from nervous, but it was still strange. Not once had she performed for so many people. Actually, she had never performed for anyone! If you heard her, that was up to you. _Why am I doing this? This is all his fault! He was the one who got himself into this quandary. I shouldn't be the one up here, he should…_

The people started to line up into rows of six by five. She took a spot in the far back right next to the exit where Zuko was standing. "Do you see anything?" he whispered.

She looked among the crowd. The light blurred her vision, leaving out the details of the faces. "I can't see them yet," she said. "Wait just a bit."

"Ladies and gentlemen," the beefy man spoke to the audience, "I would like to introduce myself as Didier Lambert de Loulay. I would like to introduce my orchestra," he said, waving his hand over to the band. The audience applauded for them. Hiashi was still scanning over, looking for any signs of the Avatar. "I have put together an opus especially for this fine occasion. It is called 'Réveil.' I hope you enjoy it. Thank you." The audience gave light plaudits again, quieting down to allow the band to play. He turned to the orchestra and raised a thin conducting stick. The band positioned their violins, Hiashi followed. Waiting for the signal, they began to play.

Still scanning over the audience, she was having a hard time putting the faces together.

"Do you see anything?" Zuko whispered.

"No, they might be out of my view."

"Look harder!" he hissed. She glared at him, but still continued to look. She moved slightly, trying to get a better view of the other side. Still she saw nothing. She bit her lip, but continued to scan over the audience. The beefy man by the name of Didier started to eye her, for whatever reason, but she didn't notice. Zuko did, though. The man smiled, but again, she didn't see. Zuko's eye twitched.

_What the hell is he looking at?_

The song continued in its slow but even melody, the stage lights still irking her.

"Where are they?" he whispered harshly. The sooner we leave the better."

"I can't see anything!" she hissed from the corner of her mouth. "Can you just wait?"

"They can leave after this piece! Look harder!"

She growled. "You should be obliged that I'm even doing this! You blackmail me and then anticipate me to do a faultless job? What kind of a half-wit human are you?"

"You better shut up!" he snarled. "I know now there's something at Engoku you hate so much."

"So?" she whispered.

"I thought you were all brave and some other garbage?"

"We all have something we fear, Zuko. Even though it isn't Engoku I fear, I'm liberated to divulge it, rather than keep it bottled up. Unlike you."

"I don't fear anything."

"We all do, some of us, like you, veil it from humanity."

"So no one can use it against us. You've been an idiot."

The song was half way over, about a minute and a half left. She wasn't paying attention to the song, but natural instinct told her to keep playing. But still, nothing. The song was now almost over when she spotted her target. They were sitting in the far back. She smirked in evil delight. What a perfect place to sit. They probably couldn't se her, but that was fine by her. They couldn't sneak away. Just a single sneak attack could put them into the lead. As soon as the song was over—

The violinists ended their song, the audience exploded in ovation. The man bowed along with the band. They exited off of the stage, when Hiashi was pulled away from the crowd. "Did you see them?" Zuko hissed.

"Yes," she answered. "They were sitting in a table in the back with some girl in a black dress."

"Hurry up. I'm not about to let them slip out of my hands again." He pushed her back into the crowd, running in a different direction.

'-'

"Did you guys like the performance?" Hasmik smiled. What'd I tell you? Isn't he good?"

"Yeah," Aang smiled. "That song was great!"

"It was alright," Katara said.

"Eh," Sokka shrugged. "It wasn't bad."

"Did you see the girl standing in the back?" Tsuchi asked them.

"What about her?" Aang asked.

"She kind of looked like my sister."

"That's impossible," Sokka said. "She can't play the violin."

"Then again, I haven't seen her for thirteen years, so I don't know if she can or not."

"Well, if they come, then we know," he concluded.

"What are you guys talking about?" Hasmik asked, clearly confused. "With the sister, and the 'they' and the- what?"

"What'd I tell you?" Horicon said from behind her. "They're a bunch of freaks."

"We're not freaks!" Sokka defended.

"Oh, shut up, Flappy Bob," he said to him. "Have you seen what you're wearing?" They looked at their clothes, not really finding any problems. "You're a bunch of losers," he mumbled. "We have another performance coming up. I forget who it is."

"We have to leave anyways," Tsuchi sighed, standing up in her chair.

"Can't we stay longer?" Aang pleaded.

"No," Horicon snapped. "I already lost my paycheck because of that damn bet! You ever think of my needs? You ain't staying any longer!"

"We can't, Aang," Katara said nervously.

"Why?"

"Because the crazy pyro guy's here!" Sokka pointed out to the far end of the hall. Zuko and Hiashi were standing in plain sight.

"Who the hell are they?" Hasmik asked quietly.

"Not who, but why are they here?" Horicon growled, walking over to the kitchen.

"Sorry, but we have to-."

"Over there!" Hiashi shouted. Before they could move, Zuko shot a spiral of fire at them. The diners began to scream, trying their best to move out of harms way.

"You're not getting away, Avatar!" Zuko yelled at him. Not seeing any option, Aang echoed back with a gust of wind, which was voided out by a behind flame attack by Hiashi. Once an attack is retaliated, the only option is a fight. Not bothering to stall, the four against two fight began.

Zuko blasted put again, this time at a pillar holding up a part of the roof, but the unsuspecting firebender, Tsuchi, bended the large flame away from the pillar, right back at them. Katara bended some water from the glasses off of the table, but Hiashi executed a spin kick directly at her arms, causing the water to flop into a puddle on the carpet.

"Hey!" Hasmik shouted from behind a table. "That water's not easy to get out of carpet!"

"Shut the hell up!" Zuko snapped, directing an explosion at the table she was hiding behind. She squealed, moving to a different table. It wasn't smart to let his guard down. Aang kicked up the air from underneath Zuko and Hiashi, nearly tripping them both. Unfortunately, Aang too let his guard down, allowing Hiashi to send the dirt from inside some of the plants right into Aang's eyes.

She kicked one table to the floor, breaking it into pieces. "Try this little trick, Avatar," she sneered. One of the splinters had been burned, and once burned, it turned to ash, and ash was earth. She waved her hand, sending the smoldering ashes at her target. Aang tried to block it, but it worked to no avail. It hit him at the shoulder, the heat of it unbearable.

Sokka, who was still there, wasn't about to stand and watch. He attacked Zuko from behind, but his attempts failed when he turned around at that instant, sending him almost falling on his face. But Sokka learned a few moves during the time he was traveling. Hiashi turned, only to be tackled by her sister. Katara tried her waterbending again, but once Zuko shook off Sokka, he picked up whatever he could reach and threw it at her direction. What was in his reach was a glass. It skimmed her ear, but barely missed her, smashing itself against the wall.

Aang attempted another behind attack to Hiashi, which he almost succeeded, if she wasn't paying attention. He was about to push her to the ground, but she twisted around, swinging down a flaming arm down on his hands. She executed a back fist to his ribs, and swept her leg behind him, causing Aang to fall on his back. Zuko abandoned his position and was just about to finish the job when someone stopped their actions.

"FREEZE!" a voice shouted from behind. "THE BOTH OF YOU! TURN AROUND WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" Zuko and Hiashi turned around to see a boy behind the bar, pointing an oddly shape stick at them.

"Horicon, what are you doing?" Hasmik called from a table close to the bar.

"What the hell is that thing?" Hiashi asked, bored.

"ARMS UP! DON'T MAKE ME HAVE TO USE THIS THING!" he snapped. He kept looking at Aang, Katara, Sokka and Tsuchi, then at the door to the kitchen.

They looked at him questioningly. "DON'T MOVE!" he snarled at the two of them.

"Or you'll what?" Zuko asked daringly.

"One more word out of you, Phantom, and I'll shoot you're girlfriend, Gothy over here!" The four of them started to snicker, while Zuko and Hiashi were choking.

"That bitch is not my girlfriend!" Zuko snarled.

"I'm not that bastard's girlfriend!" Hiashi snapped.

"That's what they all say," Horicon smirked. "Don't bother trying to hide it. One false move and I'll shoot!"

"What impairment could that thing accomplish?" Hiashi asked.

**_POP!_**

The audience screamed in horror. Smoke came out of the front end of the rifle. "I don't see what it did," Zuko said, oblivious as to whom it hit, until Hiashi grabbed onto his shoulder for support.

She was gritting her teeth hard, almost ready to fall over. It struck her in the leg. The pain shot up her leg, the burning from the bullet was excruciating. "Damn it!" she snarled. He popped the rifle, aiming at Zuko's head.

"Next one's going to be lodged in your brain, dumb ass!" Horicon growled. "One false move, you'll be giving up the ghost in less than a second. I did it to your girlfriend; don't think I'll hold back on you. Try me." He gave the other four a fierce look, and another fierce look at the door. He was giving them a message, but what? He kept looking at the door and at them until they finally got what he was trying to signal. Without making a sound, they snuck past Hiashi and Zuko, out the front door and away from the hotel, away from the world. "You really should keep an eye on your prey," Horicon laughed. "Looks like they left you!"

Zuko looked at where he had left them. "Damn! Get up, we have to get them!"

"I can't exactly move," she snapped quietly. He lifted her up by the arm, and in no less of a second, they were gone. Ms. Karapetyan was watching in fear at the doorway.

"What the hell has happened here?" she shrieked. The diners were quiet, but they all soon exploded in applause.

"What the hell?" Horicon mumbled.

"That was the greatest performance ever!" a guest shouted.

"Grand!"

"Excellent!"

"So different than usual entertainment!"

"This deserves a large tip!"

The guest extracted their wallets, withdrawing large amounts of money. Hasmik, who was still hiding under the table, slunk away to the kitchen. The cooks and scullions were watching too from the other entrance. She ran, hoping to catch up to them, but they were gone. There was nothing but a busy street filled with people trying to look inside at the cacophony. She frowned and slumped her shoulders; they left without saying goodbye.

A depressed Hasmik walked back in the hotel when she discovered something she had missed before. A brown sack sat on a counter in the kitchen with a note attached. She opened it carefully to discover its contents. She opened the note, written in Tsuchi's handwriting:

**Dear Hasmik, **

**We don't know if this will do, but here's a payment for the damage we caused. If anyone asks, it's called 'rice.'**

**Sincerely,**

**Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Tsuchi**

She smiled. It probably just did pay for the damage…

'-'

Okay, this was short, stupid, and really, did nothing, but hey, someone got shot! But see, I'm trying to stall here. My friend still needs to give me the detail about the next world, and some other stuff. But don't worry. More pain and suffering will be inflicted within a few chapters. And crap will be developing too. Well until next time, Signing Off!


	24. What’s arising in Engoku?

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

**Black Yankee:** glad that so far, besides linkfreak131, you're the only one reviewing -0.

Chapter twenty-four: What's arising in Engoku?

'-'

"You're a fucking idiot!" Zuko snarled at her. They had managed to remove the bullet from her leg, but it was still in pain and still weak, leaving it almost immobile. But that didn't keep Hiashi. She was up and walking after a few hours.

"I'm not a fucking idiot, Zuko," she said again. "I'm a quick healer, so it doesn't matter."

"You got yourself shot by God knows what," he pointed out. "Don't you care?"

"Not really."

"Sir," one of the boat conductors said to Zuko, "we are about ready to land in Engoku."

"Alright," Zuko said.

"What?" Hiashi shouted once the conductor had left. "I deemed that was all an intimidation!"

"Wow, you pull off being smart really well, yet you're daft at the most critical moments. People must have felt so sorry for you."

"But we're going to Engoku? But why?"

"Because my ship needs supplies!" he snarled. "If you have a problem, then you can just stay on the ship."

"That's not going to alleviate anything," she mumbled to herself. "They're still going to try and kill me."

"What?" Zuko asked, not really paying any attention.

"Nothing," she muttered. "I'm going to my quarters." She limped away, leaving Zuko again in a state of confusion.

'-'

"Uh, boss?" a man with a shaved head and in black knee high pants with a red belt and a black vest addressed to a figure in the shadows. He couldn't see the figure, but knew it was the person he was looking for. It was the boss. Even though he was onlythe head of the boy gang, he was before the head of both the girls and the boys. There was much nervousness in his voice. He wasn't sure how the boss would take the news. His 'office' was tight and claustrophobic, only lit with a single candle. So much had happened in here.

"What?" the boss growled at him.

"Uh, I don't know how to tell you this," the man said cautiously.

"Start by TALKING, DAMMIT!" the boss snarled. His forest green eyes glowed like fireflies.

"Right," the man said, frightened by the sudden outburst. "Uh, you remember Yanki, right?"

"Isn't she dead? I sold all of the information about her whereabouts to the Fire Navy Admiral and his cadet. She's dead."

"That's the thing, with the Fire Navy," the guy said cautiously.

The boss was silent.

"What are you getting at?"

"Well, you remember about a couple of months ago, how we got in a fight with _Seifuu_?"

"When?"

"Like, about five or six."

"Yes…"

"Well, I never told you a little detail."

The boss was silent.

"What detail did you leave out?"

"Well… we were attacked…by… Yanki."

"WHAT?" the boss screamed, standing up hastily. "THE FIRE NATION WAS SUPPOSED TO FINISH THE JOB! SHE'S SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD AND BURNING IN HELL! WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?"

"I don't know!" the man said innocently. "Sh-she was there, and she kind of beat all of us-."

"Wait, she took on thirty-some men by herself, and you didn't bother to STOP HER?"

"She started it! She knocked me out!"

He didn't see the boss pick up a small _sake_ glass. The boss threw it with all his might at his head. The glass shattered into a million shards, all covered in blood. "THAT'S NO EXCUSE TO LET A FILTHY MUDBLOOD TAKE YOU DOWN! I SHOULD KILL YOU!"

The man held his head, blood drizzling down his face. But he fell to his knees, despite the fact that now porcelain littered the floor. "God, please don't! I don't want to die! Lord, can't you spare me?"

The boss looked down at him. "You're the head of the boys' gang, correct?" He nodded vigorously. "But I could as easily replace you."

"Please, have mercy!" The man now knelt in a pool of his own blood. He felt lightheaded, but knew he shouldn't make any false moves.

"Get up, you filthy human," the boss snarled. "Tell me what happened afterwards."

The man sighed, but didn't move. "Well," he cracked, trying to hold back his tears of pain, "she left. But she left with… she left…"

"COUGH IT OUT DOKU!"

"She left with Prince Zuko!" he spat out. The boss looked at him funny from the shadows.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"N-no," he stammered, violently shaking. "She left with him, which was all I saw. God, please don't kill me!"

The boss was silent again. "Why are you suddenly telling me this now?" he asked angrily.

"B-b-because our l-leads see that Z-Zuko's sh-ship i-is about t-two kilom-meters off shore. S-so there's a-a g-good chance sh-she's there."

The boss looked at him as if bored with his terror. "You know, I really should kill you for your disloyalty. You should have told me this earlier." The boss walked over to a shelf, draped with various penknives and short sabers. The boss picked out a shiny silver short saber with a gold incrusted handle. He took it off its stand and walked over the man called Doku. "Last chance to save yourself."

His eyes widened. "God, please don't kill me! I'm sorry for not telling you earlier! I thought we wouldn't see her again! I didn't know! Damn it to hell, I'm sorry!"

The boss lingered over him, negate of any emotion. The boss flipped the saber twicein his hand, and with a sickening tear, it went through his shoulder. Doku yelled out in pain, trying his best not to cry in front of the head. "That should teach you." The head pulled his knife out of Doku's back. "Get out of here before I really do kill you." Doku stumbled to his feet, not minding the shards cutting into his bare feet. Slipping and sliding on the puddle of blood, he ran for his life away from the enraged boss.

"Damn, what a shame. He thinks his life is more important than the value of my gang's reputation. Oh well. He's a fucking idiot." The boss walked over to a map of the planet. "Dear Yanki, did you really think that you could escape? HA! You're such an idiot. You have a high IQ yet you've always had one little problem: you never think things through. You've just dug your own grave. I haven't missed you, but I have missed the taste of you're blood, tears and pain. It was so much fun watching you from afar, watching you suffer. I'm amazed that you survived the fire, but then again, you were always one to not to give up without a fight. Except for the night I voided your position. I await your arrival to Engoku, nad I wait patiently for the scent of your fear. Signed your lord and master," the boss jammed the saber into the wall, "and soon, your executioner:

_Sureiyaa_."

'-'

The ship landed no more than a half an hour later. Engoku was its usual odd charm. Urchins filled the streets, buildings were tagged with gang insignias, people selling stolen goods; even the more expensive looking stores were raggedy and ramshackle. Zuko shook his head. "How do people live in such poverty?" he asked rhetorically to his uncle.

"It's just the way it is, Prince Zuko," Iroh sighed. "Engoku is not sole property of any of the four nations, making it a No Man's Land. It has no government, no democracy, no dictatorship. It's just land which is why so many flock here. But it can get troubling since there's no one here to organize the crimes here…"

Zuko was only half listening. His eye was caught up with two suspicious looking girls. The first girl was very buff looking. She had silver hair falling to her back wrapped with a black bandana. Her face was dirty, with a scar that went across under her right eye with another running down the left side of her nose. She also had a silver nose ring, her violet eyes reflecting in its metal. She had one more in her right ear along with a silver necklace that looked like it was fashioned out of wire. Her outfit was a long red sheet wrapped around her, tied in the back, along with black shorts. She had no shoes, but she had a red strip of fabric tied on her left arm and a tattoo of a naiad skull on the other arm with another large gash running down her arm. She held on tightly to a lead pipe about four feet in length. She was talking to another girl that had almost the same kind of attire, but she had dark red hair. They were whispering to each other, but when they saw Zuko was watching them, they immediately stopped. "

What the hell are you looking at, Navy?" the one with the lead pipe shouted to him. "Unless you want your crew killed and their bloodput in your fancy wine, i suggest youget back to running an army. God..." He tore his stare, but tried to listen for anything he possibly could.

"Anyways, so you'll tell Shiden about the plan, right?" one of them asked.

"Yes ma'am," the other replied.

"Remember, wait until the right moment." He looked behindto see the redhead running off into the crowd.

"…and I heard this was such a beautiful place, too. Such a shame. It was the war, I think, that put it in such a state."

"Yeah, sure," he said spacey.

"Are you felling okay, nephew? Perhaps you need some tea."

"I don't need any tea!" he snapped. "Like you said, we need supplies. Why are we standing around?" He stormed off to the crew. "Hurry up with the rhinos! I don't want to spend any more time here!"

'-'

"I don't want to be here," Hiashi mumbled to herself. She heeded Zuko's advice and stayed inside, locked in her room. It was no wonder she was so pallid. But she had better things to do than get herself killed. She was so close to figuring out where they were. Another vision she had. She had no idea where they were coming from or why she was having them. All she saw were rocks shaped like upside-down cones, floating in an abyss. She couldn't figure it out. What was it? She had been looking through her notes for at least two hours and still, she saw nothing. "Damn it to-hey." She picked up a piece of paper. Just exactly what she was looking for.

_Planet 1937293: land connected by a central gravitational connection. Not actual planet._

_3579139413.3333333333333333333333÷2 (35x)-_

She did her problem solving, but was met with an unusual response.

_0.10416666666666666666666666666667_

_0.10416666666666666666666666666667x24-_

_2.5_

She stared blankly at the paper. "This can't be," she mumbled to herself. If her calculations were right, every hour here was… two and a half minute there. "DAMN IT! I'M GONNA BE STUCK HERE FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG? THIS IS THE WORST THING I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED!" She shut herself up. _How can you say that? This is not the nastiest thing you've been subjected to! How about the conflagration? How about Sureiyaa? How about… damn it, he has to be the worst thing that's happened to you. Like Zuko said, just wait on the boat and nothing will ensue. I just pray that he's correct. Well, no use deferring…_ She was about to open her door, when she stopped herself. "I'll advise him anon," she whispered. She walked to her bed and threw herself on it. Hyroki curled up to her head, clicking his teeth. She brushed the head of the black rat, looking up at the cold metal ceiling, just watching the metal work in it. When was the last time she had went outside and actually enjoyed it? It was maybe the day after her father had killed her mother. Staring out at the ocean under the Deku tree was the last time. She could remember knowing that her life would be changed forever.

_Why must I have such a retentive memory? It plagues me! _She sighed, closing her eyes, trying her hardest to remember a time she was actually happy.

There was a time…

Recently too…

But he was gone…

Because of her…

_I'm regretful, __Kyyoku. I didn't mean to get you killed. I counseled you though. After what happened, I thought you'd heed my warning, but you didn't. I guess it's factual what they say. You were so quixotic. I am so sorry…_

_I know how father feels now… killing someone you cared deeply about…_

For once in such a long time, she felt her eyes becoming tear-filled. She blinked the tears away. "Damn it, I haven't cried for thirteen years, what makes you think I will now? Only the feeble cry." She sighed and flipped herself onto her side. "I detest Engoku," she growled under her breath. "I abhor every bit of it. All it's caused me is hurt and agony. There has been nothing here that has brought me perpetual contentment. All of it has left me. God, I wish this place would just burn. Everyone in it, just die." She moaned. "Why didn't I just kill myself like I planned earlier? It'd have been easier than killing a whole island." She sighed shakily, trying to take control of herself. "It's terminated, you can't renovate history. What's made is made. History is impervious."

As far as she knew…

'-'

"Shiden, you know what you're doing, correct?" Sureiyaa asked the figure.

"Of course I do. Why would you think I'd abandon my loyalty? I'm not like Doku, Zuko, or Yanki. My loyalty remains with _Youkyou_."

"I'm glad I made you head of the girls' gang. I know I can trust you out of all of these retarded fags."

The one called Shiden tightened her fingers, ridding her fingers off all its knots. She withdrew a penknife with a black handle with the gang's kanji engraved with gold. She held it up to her face, reflecting the room around her. "It'd be my pleasure."

'-'

Oooo, she's dug her own grave. Yeah, I know it's short, but I need to get some things settled. And to anyone who's seen Full Metal Alchemist (might be known as FMA), well, the girl Zuko saw kind of looks like Winry. Well, until next time, Signing Off!


	25. The Sword Shop

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter twenty-five (wow, this is the longest story I've written. Smiles!): The Sword Shop

'-'

The day went by surprisingly fast. The orange sun was setting over the dingy Engoku, but who was to enjoy it? "How long do you think this will take us?" Zuko asked Iroh, as they waited for their food.

"I am not entirely sure," he sighed. Maybe about two or three days."

"Zuko?" Hiashi asked cautiously from the doorway. She wasn't allowed to eat with them along with the rest of the crew, but she didn't mind. It was facing an angry Zuko on an empty stomach that bothered her. "I have the time and site."

"What the hell are you waiting outside for?" he barked. "Get in here and tell me what you have!" She hastily walked in, trying not to dig herself a deeper grave.

"I don't know how you'll accept this," she sighed.

"I won't know until you tell me."

She sighed again. "After painstaking conundrum deciphering, I have come up with the time variation. It was exceedingly peculiar-."

"Get on with it," he said impatiently.

"They'll be residing there for the day. The eccentric thing is that every hour there is two and a half minutes." He gave her a blank stare. "So every twenty-four hours here is an hour there."

"You're kidding me, right?" he growled.

"I wish I was, damn, I wish I was. But that's what I came up with. They can only relax for about five hours, so we'll just have to play the waiting game."

"You can't be serious!" he snarled, jumping to his feet.

"I've been doing this for years," Hiashi groaned. "Why do I have to keep assuring people I know what I'm doing?"

He groaned loudly, falling back into his seat. "Damn it." He sighed. "I guess we have more time to prepare for whatever we're up against now. Damn it, are you-."

"I am definite. Don't you think I'm irate too? I don't want to be here also. At least—never mind, it's not imperative," she said, shaking her head. "Look, now you know. It at least allots us time to relax. Maybe sleep in for once-."

"Sleep in?" He laughed. "There's no such thing on my ship. We're going to work until we can finally get the damn Avatar and I can go home and put this whole damn thing behind me."

She glared at him. "It'll never be that unproblematic," she said. "No matter how tough you endeavor, it will still be there. It can be thirty years from now, but it will still disturb you. It might even come back, even though you thought it was over with."

"What's your place to tell me that?" he snarled at her.

"I'm telling you the veracity of it. Take it from someone who knows." She turned on her heel and limped out.

"Why must you be so hard on her?" Iroh asked him.

"She's a real bitch," he answered bluntly. "It's your fault she's here in the first place. I'll be happy to just get rid of her."

"All she's trying to do is help you out. Why can't you cut her a break?"

"I don't do that with my crew, what makes you think I'll do it with her?"

Iroh moaned. _There's no use getting through to him. He's just too stubborn. _

'-'

As the night sky was slowly becoming dawn, Hiashi was outside on the back of the ship. _If I do, then I could get killed. If I don't… I'm not going to die in peace. I need a sense of closure. _She sighed. "I am so going to regret this." She slowly and quietly walked to the front. She held tightly to a thin blade of metal she stole earlier from the ship, hoping that this would give her some sort of protection. Being as quiet as she could, she jumped off of the boat, landing on soil she was hoping to never set foot on again. She slowly stood up, taking in her surroundings. She envisioned how she use to walk down these dirt road, how they were bustling with sea dogs, merchants, pirates, traders, and anyone in general. She sighed. No one was in the streets, but she knew it was a matter of time before she ran into someone she knew. She hurried off to do what she came for.

After about twenty minutes or so of searching, she found what she was looking for. But now it was nothing. It had been diminished to a pile of dust and ashes. She walked over the wreckage of her childhood home, careful not to make any noises. As far as many knew, she had perished in the fire along with her father. She scanned over everything, trying to remember where was what.

_Over here was the entrance. There was the kitchen. Father's room was all over there… Mine's right here._ She walked over to what use to be her room and just stood there. She could remember the day clearly. She was trying to practice a new song on the violin her father had made her when suddenly her room had been engulfed in flames. She could remember fighting off the Fire Navy officer, remembering the face of her father's killer. That was the worst day in her life. She fell to the ground. She knew she wouldn't find anything, but something told her to. She lifted up a piece of rubble and started to look for anything that might have survived.

"You moron," she choked. "Nothing survived. It all smoldered away alongside your purpose. You should have let them kill you. You are a letdown. Your father died because of you, your mother died because of you, Kyyoku died because of you. I'll bet even Zuko will die because of you. Maybe Iroh, the crew; you're an enticement for death, Hiashi. Maybe that's why he abhors you so much." She ran her hands in the fine soil when her fingers dusted upon something soft. She pulled out the item from the wreckage to reveal a battered up doll.

It was a bit charred, but still in fine condition. It had faded light brown hair with beautiful gold eyes. It wore a red oriental dress with gold trimming and had kanji decorating the silk fabric, and black wooden sandals. The doll was smiling after all of these months. "Faia?" she choked. She could remember her. It was apart of a set of world collection dolls that were banned for controversy between the races. The dolls were created and filled with Chamomile in order to make children with night terrors fall asleep easy. Her father only bought it for her because her mind would replay the day her mother was killed. It was a curse on her. The doll didn't help, but for the longest time, the doll was her only friend. "I can't believe she survived." She cradled the charred doll in her arms, careful not to destroy it any more than it was now. She stood up and was about to leave when something pale caught her eye from under the rubble. She kicked up the board the object was hiding under to make a gruesome discovery: a skull.

She fell to her knees again, carefully putting her doll down. "Oh my god…" She didn't die in the fire; the two Fire Navy officers made it out alive; there was only one person it could have been: her father's. She began to shake, her breath taken out of her. "Oh me god," was all she could say. She picked the skull up and examined it. There was a crack running down the center and another on the side, but other than that, it was in fine condition. "Father, I am so remorseful. God, I should have been better to you. But, again, you also were an idiot at some time. Culpability is not a pretext to tolerate what I did. But… I know how you felt. You undertook everything, but to no avail. We are mutually fatalities to this…" She stared into oblivion for a minute until deciding on something unforeseen. She picked up the doll and left; with her father's skull still in hand.

'-'

"Why are you so quiet?" Zuko asked, actually sounding curious. "Usually you're complaining about me or something else."

"What, do you desire me to carp?" she asked.

"No, I like this silence."

"Then don't nitpick."

He glared at her. "You're such a bitch."

"Don't I know it," she smirked. Sparks flew from his finger, but he left it at that. He didn't want to waste his precious time on her. He walked off of the ship along with the rest of the crew and his uncle. While the rest of them restocked their supplies, he and Iroh were free to look around at the shops. Not like he wanted to purchase anything. They were no further than a hundred feet from the ship when someone called out to them.

"Hey," a female's voice called from a stand, "you two look like Navy. I'm sure you could use some fine metal work." Zuko turned to look at who called him. She had to be the oddest person he had ever seen.

She looked about seventeen. Her hair was the color of dried blood, cut short and spiked up an inch above her head. A few strands were saved and braided behind her head. Her skin was tanned, looking like she had been out in the sun for a long time. She had a black eye patch across her right eye, only leaving a blue eye out. She wore a grey oriental sleeveless shirt with black pants similar to Hiashi's. She did have muscle, twirling a long heavy looking sword between her fingers. "Care to look around?"

"No thanks," he said. "I have better-."

"Prince Zuko," Iroh said to him, "you have to look at these swords."

"Prince, eh?" she asked, slightly amused. "Can you answer me a question? Why don't royalty fight the war? Why do they always send the people who don't matter?"

"How the hell should I know?" he snapped. "I don't run the country!"

"You're the prince," she said unbelieving. "See anything you like?"

"This one's mighty handsome," Iroh said, admiring a short saber with a black dragon engraved into the handle.

"Made of pure silver," she said proudly. "All of my swords, knives and short sabers are handcrafted and have a lifetime guarantee."

"Wow, I don't care," Zuko mumbled.

"You should see one in action," the girl said. She picked up a shiny one with a black handle, and in one swift movement, she broke off a post on her shop. "That's not all this can do," she smiled. "It can be transferred to extreme heat to cold temperatures and vice versa without damage or breakage."

"I'm sure they can," Zuko sneered sarcastically.

"Don't believe me?" she questioned. She kicked up a flask of water off the floor, and with skill, she bended the water onto the sword, freezing it.

"You're a waterbender?" Iroh asked.

"Who gives a fuck if I am?" she replied rudely. With another strike, she broke all of the ice off of the sword and chucked it into the hearth where some swords layed with such accuracy. The sword began to heat up, but there was still no damage. "Believe me now, prince?"

"Whatever," he mumbled.

"This is a very interesting cane," Iroh interrupted, now examining a three-foot cane with a strange design running down the side. In the middle, it was a triangle cut in half with a line with three curves (I won't know how to explain it. It's sort of like a curvy M). Running up and down were arrows interlinked with each other, all engraved with gold. The handle was jet black with more kanji in it.

"Cane, yes," the girl smiled again. "But like all of us, it has a secret." Iroh was still holding onto it when she pulled at the handle, revealing a thin two-foot sword. "I run a sword shop, not a cane store."

"That can be very handy," Iroh said in amazement.

"The sword may look flimsy, but check this out." With all of her strength, she slammed the sword into the wall next to her. "Go ahead, prince, try to pull it out." He gave her a confused look, but gave the sword a tug. It wouldn't come out. He gave it a few harder jerks, but it wouldn't budge. "What'd I tell you," she smirked, pulling the sword out as if it were stuck in butter. "My swords are made of the strongest metals. And its sheaves are made of nothing but the strongest. Like this one for instance." She took the rest of the cane from Iroh. "It's made from the wood of a Deku tree, the finest wood you'll ever find. It doesn't get old, flame resistant, and strong." She slammed it against a sword, but nothing happened. "This thing's just about as strong as the sword."

"Zuko," Iroh said slyly, "why don't you get it for her?"

"The hell I won't!" he snapped. "I'll die before I do!"

"Go on. You've been treating her terribly."

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he growled. He grabbed him by the sleeve and dragged him a few feet away from the stand. "Why the hell should I buy that for her? She's not going to need it!"

"Have you seen that limp she's developed? And she doesn't feel safe here. And you dragged her here, so this is the least you can do for her."

"I hate her! Why must you keep insisting I be nice to her?"

"You owe it to her," he said seriously. "I don't know what shot at her, but the cane's nice and I'm sure she'd appreciate it. And besides, if it wasn't for her, you would never have been able to figure out where the Avatar is. She has put in so much assistance into this, you owe it to her. Just get her the cane." His hand flamed up, but he didn't say anything. Iroh smiled. He walked over to the stand. "We'll take the cane."

"The hell, if I ever do something nice again, I swear I'll- what's that?" he said, looking up at a brilliant looking saber with a gold dragon wounded up to from a handle, along with another dragon wrapped around the blade of it.

The girl smirked. "It's my best work," she said. "Made with fourteen-karat gold and pure silver. The handle can be used as a beacon at night. Might not look it, but the dragon is more visible in the dark, using all of the light from its surrounding as a signal, which is why you have to keep it in its sheave when you're not using it." He was about to take a closer look when she stopped him. "Hey," she snapped, with another dagger, slamming it into the wall the sword was resting on, causing it to fall into her hand. And with two drop spins, she tightened her grip on it. "This one's not for sale. But," she smiled, "I can make you a facsimile. Won't take long. About two days."

"What's the price?" he asked cautiously.

"Two-fifty."

"What?"

"Gold pieces. 250 gold pieces is my price. And it's a pretty good one too, considering you can't find one like this anywhere else."

He stared at her, figuring out whether to trust her or not. "I'll take your little deal, but I'm not paying you until I get my sword."

"Smart man," she smiled.

"Come on, uncle, let's go." Iroh followed behind with the cane in hand.

"Are you sure you know what you were doing?" he asked.

"If I've learned _anything_ from that bitch, I've learned that the definition of facsimile is an exact copy. I didn't pay her, so I don't see anything wrong."

Iroh smiled in his head. _So she has taught you something?_

'-'

"Sureiyaa," Shiden said, "the line's been hooked. He fell for it."

"No flaws?" Sureiyaa asked.

"Well, there is the minor detail we're lost out 250 gold pieces, but other than that, it's all fixed."

"That's perfect," Sureiyaa smirked from the shadow of the office. "I've missed Yanki, haven't you? She was so much fun to beat and stress. It's like watching a fly with half of its body smashed into the floor. Instead of killing it, it's just more fun to watch it suffer and slowly die of the pain. And if it doesn't die, it's more fun to watch it struggle."

"She was such an easy prey," Shiden said.

"Which is why we need her dead," Sureiyaa said seriously. "She's a traitor to my people and she's nothing but a liar." She turned to the map of the world, which still had her short saber in it. "Yanki, once I'm done with you, I will burn the flesh off of your skull and it will be my most prized trophy. Prince Zuko will have to suffer the loss, but what do we care? As far as we know, he hates you. Maybe he'll take a swing or two. Whatever it is, no one wants you. I'll be quaffing your blood in no more than a few days."

'-'


	26. The Slick Criminal

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: This is a really random thought, but I was really bored yesterday, so I was watching Jerry Springer. It got me thinking: that would make a great fic for Avatar. Yeah, Fire Lord Ozai's going to go on the episode themed 'My child's a disgrace to his nation.' That'd be weird. And if I was ever to do that with my fic, boy would I have fun with that! Sorry, that was just a random thought.

Celebrating my 200th reader (whoever that may be o-0)!

Chapter twenty-six: The Slick criminal

'-'

"Here," Zuko mumbled, shoving the cane into Hiashi's hands.

"What's this?" she asked, puzzled.

"What, are you blind?"

"No," she mumbled. She looked over the cane with such admiration. "This is elegant. This must have cost a fortune."

"It did," he muttered.

"Oh my god. I adore it. But… why'd you get it for me?"

"Because…" He stopped himself. "My uncle made me get the stupid thing for you."

She laughed. She delicately ran her finger over the wood and its designed. "Deku wood, optimum wood anyone can find. And," she tugged at the handle, revealing the hidden sword, "an ideal sheave for a sword. Very devious." She admired the metal work. It looked familiar…

"You damn well appreciate me for getting you this, because originally I was-."

"Who'd you acquire this from?" she asked suddenly.

He gave her a quizzical look. "I got it from a stand a few hundred feet from here. I bought it of some merchant with an eye patch. She was really weird."

_She?_

"She?" Hiashi repeated. "Did she, by any chance, have hair the color of dried blood, cut short and spiking above her head, the longest strands braided at the back of her neck, blue eye, grey shirt, black pants, a penknife with a black handle?"

"Yeah," he answered suspiciously. "How did you know?"

"Answer me another thing: was she a waterbender?"

"Yes. How do you know all of this?"

"Did she raise an inquiry about the war? Something about how monarchs don't battle for something they instigated?"

"Yes, how do you know all of this?"

"I knew it," she growled to herself. "They know I'm here. Thanks again for the staff, Zuko. I really appreciate it." She flipped the cane into use and walked away, leaving Zuko, once again, in a state of puzzlement.

'-'

"Today's the day," Sureiyaa smirked. "I have been looking forward to this day, how about you?"

"It's been in my mind," Shiden replied with a smirk on her face. Sureiyaa, Shiden and the girl with the lead pipe lingered outside of Zuko's ship, waiting for the moment when Zuko and his uncle would leave.

"Are you sure we can carry this through?" the girl with the lead pipe asked Sureiyaa.

"Gingitsune," Sureiyaa sighed, "why must I always have to assure you?" Sureiyaa scanned around for any human life forms. A little girl about five years old with short brown hair was walking cautiously outside of one of the markets.

"I won't be long," she squeaked. "I just want to see if I left my doll out here."

"See?" she smirked. "Ah, it does my heart good to see children out after dark." She slunk backwards over to the alley where the child was looking for her toy. Unfortunately, Sureiyaa found it first. "Looking for this?" she mocked the child.

"Yes ma'am. Will you please give it to me? I really-."

"God, you're such an impolite child. Have you no manners?"

"I'm sorry," the child whimpered. May I please just-?" She saw a glint of silver.

"I don't think so."

'-'

"What the hell did you do?" Gingitsune asked when she came back, placing her knife back in its case.

"You asked if we could pull through with it. I can. That family will be waking up to see their pride and joy as maggot food."

"You didn't-."

Sureiyaa nodded. "But it's not like I care. My real prey is in there… and the obstacle is just about to leave."

"Come on, Uncle!" Zuko barked. "I don't want to be long."

"Hold onto your patience, I'm coming!" Iroh called back.

"Hurry, we only have one chance to do this." Quietly, the three snuck to the far side of the ship where the anchor was. "Shiden."

Not stalling, she froze the water up to the anchor, creating a path in which they could walk. Zuko was not paying any attention, still waiting for Iroh. Shiden took the first steps, running up to the chain connecting the anchor to the ship, and began to climb, careful not to make any sounds. Gingitsune placed one foot on the ice, but jerked it back. "What the fuck is your problem?" Sureiyaa snarled.

"Sorry, it's kind of cold," she whispered.

"Cold my ass!" she snapped, hitting her hard in the head. "Get on there!" Gingitsune held in a dirty look, and slowly started walking up to the chain. Once the three of them had made it onto the ship, they located their next target. They were about to make entry into the inside of the ship, but came across a problem.

"Damn it!" Shiden snarled. "The damn bastard locked the door!"

"Move over!" Sureiyaa snapped. She kicked the door with all she could, but all it did was create a dent into the hard metal.

Gingitsune spoke up, removing some tools from the knot in her shirt. "You know," she said slyly, "they don't call me the 'silver fox' for nothing." The two of them looked at her. "Step aside." She walked up to the door, and in no less than a minute, a click came from the inside. She gently turned the handle, and the door swung open.

"Thanks for wasting precious seconds," Sureiyaa said sarcastically, shoving past her. Shiden followed, Gingitsune following. They wandered around until they found the corridor to the sleeping quarters, but again, there was a problem.

"Which room are we looking for?" Gingitsune asked.

"Oh, what, do you know?" Sureiyaa snapped. "Would you like to take over from here? Maybe we went through all of this trouble for no reason!"

"I'm sorry!" Gingitsune backed off.

"There's always one way," Shiden smirked. She walked up to one door, put her ear against it, shook her head, and walked to another. She repeated the same process several time until coming up to a door on the right. "Try this one," she whispered. They tried the handle, but again, it was locked. Gingitsune again, tried the lock, until a click came from the inside.

'-'

Hiashi sat at the chair of her desk, twirling the cane Zuko had gave her between her fingers. _Zuko said that once he got his sword, we were leaving the next day. But a sword made by Shiden is suspicious. She never had a sword shop. She only sold them strictly to gangs. So why now, would she sell them to the public. It just doesn't add up. _

_And why would Zuko get me the cane just because Iroh told him to? That must have been _something_ he told him in order to convince that. He's been acting different lately. I wonder— _A loud clicking noise came from the door. She stood up, when the door swung open.

"Hello, Yanki," a familiar voice echoed in the hall.

"Oh my god, Sureiyaa?" The familiar figure stepped in. she had long black hair, pulled back and braided, wrapped in red ribbon, flaunting off their colors. Her forest green eyes stood out on her face, which still looked like one of a nineteen year old, but looked as if it had been fashioned from wood. Her gold earring was till there, stealing if off of the first person she had ever killed. She had a faded red torn up tank top, torn around the bottom, stopping at her ribs, which too, revealed more scars on her stomach. She also had ripped up black pants, torn at the bottom, stopping at her knees, again revealing more scars around her legs. Her feet were wrapped with fabric as makeshift shoes. She had the same band as everyone else in the gang had, a red piece of fabric tied around her scarred arm (Shiden was now wearing hers).

"Both of you!" she snapped. The two didn't waste any time, and neither did Hiashi. Shiden and Gingitsune rushed over, in order to hold her down, but Hiashi had more skill now. She ducked under them, creating a burning Catherine wheel again. Shiden bended the water from a glass sitting on the desk, and executed the water whip, but Hiashi held up a shield of fire, the water putting it out. This gave Gingitsune an opening, swinging her lead pipe at Hiashi's head. But Hiashi caught it with the other hand, twisting it out of her hand. More openings after openings, but Hiashi still beat them to it.

"You fucking- I'll do it!" Sureiyaa stepped in. Shiden and Gingitsune backed off, leaving it to Hiashi and Sureiyaa. "I know you fear me, Yanki," she mocked. "Everyone does."

"I'm not going to," she snarled. She executed a side kick, but Sureiyaa caught her foot.

"I wonder how long it will take you until you finally learn?" she sighed, bending her ankle in the opposite direction. "How many broken bones will it take?"

Hiashi clenched her teeth in pain. She had to come up with a plan. She threw a reverse punch, and like she predicted, Sureiyaa caught it. "Wow, you are really stupid!" she laughed, now trying to break her hand. "That always was your problem, you never thought things through."

"Maybe, this time I did," Hiashi smirked. With her free foot, she swung it up in a front kick, hitting under Sureiyaa's chin. She let go of Hiashi, letting her fall down to the floor. But Sureiyaa had plans too. When Hiashi landed on the floor, Sureiyaa swung her arm around, and with enough strength to break a wall, she struck Hiashi in the head. She fell to the floor.

"Like I said, Yanki," Sureiyaa smirked, "you don't think things through. Shiden, Gingitsune, pick her up. I want to finish her off in style." The two exchanged glances, but didn't procrastinate. They lifted the semi-conscious Hiashi somewhat onto her feet. "What did I tell you, Yanki, hmm? Didn't I say if I saw your mixed face again, I was going to kill you?"

"I didn't exhibit my face, you came searching for me," Hiashi snarled. Sureiyaa growled, removing her favorite toy, the wooden stake, and slammed it against her head.

"I DIDN'T ASK FOR YOU TO SPEAK, DID I?" she yelled. "THE DAMN FIRE NATION DIDN'T FINISH THE JOB, SO I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO!"

"They did cease the job, maybe not in the way you anticipated for!" she snapped back. Sureiyaa grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the wall so hard, it began to vibrate.

"What did I say?" Sureiyaa snapped. "Only talk when spoken to!"

Hiashi coughed, the taste of blood filled her mouth. "You did speak to me. I was just replying."

"You watch that mouth, bitch!" she snarled, punching her in the face, her head ricocheting against the wall. "Wow, you pull off being smart really well, yet you're daft at the most critical moments. People must have felt so sorry for you."

"I get that a lot," Hiashi mumbled. She looked around, noticing something was missing. "Where's Yousei?"

"That runt?" she laughed. "I sold her to the boys' gang on the other side. Didn't make much, but she still raked it in."

"You sold her?" she shouted, flabbergasted. She could remember the last time she had seen Yousei. She was only eleven and already working in the gangs. It was custom to be tossed from one group to another until you're sixteen, but Yousei was loyal, and she couldn't see any reason to sell her.

Sureiyaa struck her in the ribs with her knee, weakening Hiashi's legs. "I've been in the business for ten years. I went through the same thing. So she gets harassed by them, or they treat her like a whore, she's not my problem anymore."

"You're going to allow that?"

"Hey, it's her choice to defend herself. I did. You, you never have, and never will." She pulled out a knife and stopped. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" She brushed away the hair covering the right side of Hiashi's face to reveal many scars and bruises. "I guess that Fire Navy ain't so bad after all. And- ooo, do we have something else?" She pulled on the collar of Hiashi's jacket. "A burn. How much fun will I have with that?" She flipped her knife twice in her hand. "Take that fucking jacket off of her, it's in my way." Shiden and Gingitsune, who were quiet the entire time, pulled the jacket off of her, tossing it to the floor. Sureiyaa smiled. "This is going to be so much fun." Without any delaying, she started to 'play.' She took the knife and started to irritate the burn on her back; cutting the skin, making more of it that was trying to heal worse, etc. Hiashi screamed out in pain, but knew no one could hear her. Zuko and Iroh were gone and the crew was at the way bottom of the ship. She was alone. Of course, Sureiyaa still wasn't too please with her making so much noise, so she showed her feeling towards it by slashing at her stomach. "Shut up!"

"How the hell did you want me to retort?" she snapped. She still didn't appreciate it. She punched her again and again in the face until it was swollen and bloody.

"But must you be so loud?" She punched her in the ribs again, knocking out all of the air out of her. Sureiyaa took her knife and stabbed her in the arm. Hiashi shrieked in pain, falling limp from agony.

"I think she's had enough," Gingitsune finally said, slightly worried.

"Do you want this to be you?" Sureiyaa snapped, pointing the tip of the blade of her knife at her neck. "Because I can easily change my kill from her to you."

Gingitsune frowned. "No," she mumbled.

"Good." She turned back to Hiashi, who was now struggling to breathe. "Have you learned anything yet?" she teased. "Because I'm having so much fun."

Hiashi managed to smile. "You're a real bitch, you know that? What have you made with your existence, hmm? You've by no means left Engkou, yet here you are, wasting your precious time on me. What kind of an idiot are you? I've left, why not you? Enlist in the armed forces or something; formulate something of your life rather than squandering it with the dregs of society. Why dissipate away here?" Sureiyaa became infuriated. With everything she had, she struck her in the throat.

"SO WHAT, I'M A FAILURE NOW? YOU THINK YOU'RE SO SMART BECAUSE YOU LEFT? YOU'RE ZUKO'S BITCH FOR GOD SAKE! YOU THINK THAT'S DOING SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIFE? WORKING FOR AN EXILED PRINCE IS NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF!" Hiashi coughed, struggling to breathe. "I should kill you right now." She pulled the knife out, ready to strike and get it over with. But before she could, Hiashi twisted her way out of the grasps of Shiden and Gingitsune. She made a kick at Sureiyaa, but it really had no effect; Sureiyaa was three times stronger than Hiashi. She took the knife and without holding back, she stabbed Hiashi in the leg she got shot. She fell to the floor, trying hard not to scream in pain. "I'm Sureiyaa, bitch! Why do you think you can stop me? Tell the devil I said hi. Like he would say, 'Welcome to hell.'" And with the last thing she sees, Sureiyaa slams a glass cup right in her face.

"Sureiyaa," Gingitsune hissed. "Look at this." Sureiyaa looked up at her.

"What?" she snarled. "I had to finish this, no thanks to you. I really should kill y-."

"Look what she has." Sureiyaa groaned and walked over to the desk the two of them were looking at. "I don't know what this is. Look at these notes:

_Planet 1937293: land connected by a central gravitational connection. Not actual planet._

_Planet 83502: no form of human life. Inhabited by hostile creatures. No water sources._

_Planet 6392017: advanced technology. _

_Planet 3026: pure water, no land. Microcosms under the water._

"What the hell is this stuff?"

"Dunno," Shiden mumbled. "What do you think Zhao would pay for this?"

'-'

Zuko waited in the dark with Iroh, waiting for the girl with the eye patch. "What the hell is taking so long?" he snapped. The cold air was harsh, brushing against the trees. This is fucking stupid." He walked into the stand, seeing no one. It was empty, completely empty. "Something's not right."

"This is very suspicious," Iroh muttered. Zuko looked to the ship. Something caught his eye.

"Let's go back to the ship. There's something wrong."

'-'

Ooo, I'm bored! Happy Fourth people (even though it's the 5th.) Well, until next time, Signing Off! (No one reviews…)


	27. In the End

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

This is dedicated to Black Yankee, cuz' she's hurt. At least you have a TV and a computer.

Chapter twenty-seven: In the End (I named it after the song I was listening to on my iPOD. Hey, if you think of it, it kind of matches.)

'-'

The three of them looked at the papers, curious as to what they were for. Little did they know that they didn't knock out Hiashi, let alone, kill her. She stayed frozen, careful not to make any moves. _Damn it, she's right. Why didn't I keep my mouth fasten? I wouldn't be in this. I critically need to seize something and prompt…_ She cocked her head, making sure none of them were watching her. She spotted her cane across the floor. It was too far. She needed something closer. She looked around for anything, but still, nothing. Shiden happened to look at the floor. She poked Sureiyaa, pointing to her the problem.

"Well," Sureiyaa smirked. Hiashi froze. "I guess I didn't finish off the job as well as I planned. Guess I should, huh girls?" She was about to lift Hiashi up by the collar, but she put up a barrier of fire. "What the-? Fighting back now, are we? What kind of a fucking idiot does that?"

"One who won't lay back and watch you prevail," she snarled. Sureiyaa growled, and despite the flame barrier, she kicked Hiashi in the ribs as hard as she kicked the door.

"You're a real bitch!" she snapped. The barrier fell, allowing Sureiyaa to grab the collar of her blood soaked shirt. Sureiyaa shoved her hand in her pocket and pulled out a long strip of leather. "I have created a small implement, Yanki. I'm sure you understand so far. Take a look." She held up the black leather strip. It had small, nearly flat silver triangular pyramids running across, about five. They had small holes in it with a strange colored gel visible on the inside. "Know what I've made? It's a peculiar little thing, yes. But it's also very deadly. See, on the inside, I've placed some of Engoku's most deadly poison on the inside." She looked over it. "Haven't exactly used it, but why not have you as my first test dummy?" The band went perfectly around Sureiyaa's knuckles. "Remember, don't scream if it hurts." And with the one hundred pound force, she struck Hiashi in the gash in her stomach. She didn't scream in pain, although it was hard not to. But she did cough up the blood she missed the last time. Sureiyaa beat her twice more until she was fully weakened. Even Hiashi couldn't deny it. Sureiyaa let go of her, sending the limp girl to the floor. She kicked her in the face twice more until she hung her head. She struggled to breathe, but nothing. The room was fading in and out. She began to shake, the room spinning out of control. "You don't seem to want to die," a far away voice echoed. "Let me help you." And with a final blow to the head, the room went dark.

'o'

"How the hell did someone break into my ship?" Zuko shouted aggravatingly. "There has to be at least fifteen or sixteen people still on board! And that damn rat, hell, he's bound to tell someone!"

"Sir, we apologize," one crew member repeated. "We were below the deck and-."

"Couldn't hear their footsteps? What, are you deaf?"

"Zuko, calm down," Iroh said quietly. "The crew is searching the ship for anyone still here."

"But how the hell does no one know that kind of stuff? Even that bitch knows better!"

"Speaking of which, where is she?" Iroh questioned. "I haven't seen her for the past ten minutes."

"She too should be helping out. She allowed this!" He stormed off into the ship, right to the only place where he knew she should be. _That damn wench! Why the hell isn't she out here looking for the intruder? Can't she hear anything in that damn room of hers? I swear, noise can't come in or out of that room!_ He walked down the hall of the sleeping quarters when he spotted something unusual: Hiashi's door was open. _She never leaves her door open._ He slowly walked to the door when he heard someone talking inside, but it wasn't Hiashi.

"You don't seem to want to die," it said. "Let me help you."

"Okay, seriously, how long do you think the set up will hold Zuko?"

"No very," he snarled at the door way. He scanned the usually clean room. It was now a total mess, a sure sign of a struggle. Glass littered the floor, her usual neat pile of notes were now scattered over her desk, blood was spread across the floor, and Hiashi's lifeless body laid in a heap on the other side. Two of them he recognized: the girl from the sword stand was there and the girl he had seen the first day was here, but the buff girl with the black hair wasn't familiar.

"Prince Zuko," the girl with the black hair scorned "how nice of you to join us. Please, take a swing at her. She ain't gonna feel it."

"What the hell are you doing on my ship?" he snapped. "Shouldn't you be defacing something right now?"

The girl clenched her fist. "Probably. Looks like someone's already done so to your face." Zuko began to seethe. "Who was that, daddy? That's right, he don't love you anymore, because his son's nothing but a wuss. He's just a pansy. He's brave enough to talk out, yet he ain't got the skin to fight his own father. Fight? Please! Have you ever killed a person, Prince? I have. I've killed about ten in my whole nineteen years, and you're afraid of fighting? My god, I've even killed my own brother. You are such a wimp. You call that a battle wound? That's a scrape compared to mine. But my god, you're ugly. And short. I could do this all day and there's nothing your royal ass can do about it. You're just an exiled prince. What can you do?"

Zuko had enough. With all of his pint-up rage, he sent a blast of fire hot enough to burn the ship to the ground, at the girl. The one with the eye patch bended a barrier of water, allowing her to move into a different direction. Zuko didn't notice, but the one with black hair was now next to him. Without holding back she kicked him to the floor. He hit his head on a stand, but he quickly rolled on his back, and jumped to his feet. With as much as he could power, he sent a flaming kick at the girl but she retaliated, using the blade of her knife to stop his leg. It created a pretty nasty wound, allowing the girl access to more strikes. She punched him in the ribs, sending him into the wall. "Man, you're easier to fight than Yanki over here!"

She was stopped with a sphere of fire, knocking her across the room. Her friends reacted. The one with the lead pipe tried to slam it into his head, but Zuko dodged it, kicking her right out of the room, into the wall outside. The one with the eye patch hitched up a knife. Zuko drew out his, and within seconds, it was now a sword fight. But it counted for something extra. The girl recovered from the blow and quietly retrieved another knife and the strip of leather. She wrapped the thin strip around her fist, tightly gripping her knife in the other. She was just about to finish the job when more people came. "Damn!" she growled. There were at least fifteen others, all armed. Even she knew she wasn't up for it. She gave her cronies a signal, indicating to retreat. With final 'memorials' to the crew, the three ran off, leaving their mark inside the ship. But before they had completely left, the girl with black hair shouted one last thing. "I'm Sureiyaa, bitch! Remember that the next time your ignominious ass comes in my territory!" And they were gone, no more. The crew looked from them to Zuko, who went to examine Hiashi.

She was in a terrible state, bleeding and bruised from head to toe. She was extremely distorted, almost unbearable to look at. Carefully, he picked her up, and even then, she seemed as if she was going to fall apart, like soaked paper. He carefully brought her out of the room and shoved her into the arms of the Lieutenant. "Take her!" he snarled at him. "Take her to the infirmary. I don't want to even look at her." He turned and started to limp quickly in its direction. The crew exchanged glances. They were all thinking the same thing. That look in Zuko's eyes. Was that………… sorrow?

'3'

_My head aches so dreadfully. What was I doing? Was that all a reverie? No, it was authentic. I reminisce everything. Sureiyaa came back. So did Shiden and Gingitsune. Sureiyaa wanted to kill me… She almost did. Or did she? Did I die? No, this isn't heaven or hell. Maybe I'm in purgatory. Man, that'd suck. I feel remorseful for all of those who are, though. I don't feel lifeless. Did I actually survive…?_

She slowly opened her swollen eyes to a familiar scene. _Why am I in the infirmary? _She looked around at the haze. It was barely lighted in the small room. All she could see was red from a small lighted candle. By the wick of the candle, she determined about how late it was. _It's almost morning. I was comatose for a pretty elongated point._ She tried to force herself up, but her body was screeching in protest. She tried to lift her head, but it felt too heavy. It was useless. She lied inert on the cot, staring at the ceiling. Her throat was sore, stiff from all of the previous blows. _Let's see, that was about…the sixth time I've eloped death? Talk about nine lives!_

"You're awake," a voice said from her side. She tried to turn, but it was useless, but she knew who it was.

"Zuko, why are you here?" she said raspy.

"Do I have to have a reason?" he snapped. It was a bit loud, causing her head to begin to throb. She winced.

"Must you be so loud?" He didn't say anything. Despite all pain, she managed to turn her head in his direction. He was a bit blurry, but she could see his head had been bleeding recently. "Zuko, I'm so-."

"Who were those people?" he interrupted.

She didn't want to tell him. "I'm really repentant you had to be apart of that. That was my dilemma to deal with."

"You handled it pretty well," he said with such sarcasm.

She closed her swollen eyes. "How long have I been out?" He thought for a moment.

"Just about a day, maybe. It's nearly morning." She thought she was only out for a few hours. "You didn't answer my question. Who-."

"How bad did you get it?" she intervened.

"Not as bad as you," he laughed. "It was nothing."

"I'm so regretful. You shouldn't have been apart of that."

"Why do you keep apologizing? It can't do anything. What's done is done." She looked at him funny.

"Why the impulsive alter of principles?"

"Do I have to have a reason for everything I do?" he snapped. She winced.

"Never mind." She paused for a moment. "I didn't evaluate when you have to leave."

"I did it myself," he mumbled. She tried holding in her laughter, but it hurt too much.

"You did it yourself?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah. You act as if I'm a helpless child." He showed her the work. "See? I'm not dumb." She looked it over.

"Well," she smirked, "I'll tell you one thing. You got the answer accurate." He sneered. "But," she added. His face fell. "You multiplied with the incorrect digit."

"What the hell do you mean?" he growled. "I did everything you did!"

"But it's a decimal," she said calmly. You only multiplied the whole number. You just have to add the other .28732."

He growled. "You just love to do that, don't you?"

She frowned. "I was just rectifying you. Like I said, the answer was right; you just forgot a few digits." He glared at her, but didn't say anything. He sat back in his chair and fixed his answer.

"I got twelve," he announced.

"See? Now if you kept the erstwhile integer, you almost certainly would have been tardy." She slowly lifted her arm, but dropped it more than half way. Zuko was just about to ask his question again when the physician came in.

"Uh, Prince Zuko," he said quietly. "Can I-."

"I need to converse to you," Hiashi cut in. "Alone." She was directing that to Zuko. He glowered, but didn't say anything. He walked out, slamming the door behind him.

"Ma'am," the physician started, "I need to-."

"You're not telling Zuko anything," she said bluntly.

"Well, I kind of have to," he said. "If I don't-."

"That wasn't a plea," she said fiercely. "You're not telling Zuko anything."

"But I need to. He has the right to know."

"Not the right to know everything," she snapped. "Look, you can only, and I mean _only_, tell him about the other night. Nothing at all from prior to that. That's all."

He frowned. "So…"

"Nothing. Just from last night. I'll tell him everything else when I opt to." The physician sighed.

"Alright," he finally said. He walked out, leaving her in the dim room. Zuko was waiting outside the door, leaning against the wall. He was twisting his ankle around, trying to rid it of any pain it might have. "You're going to make it worse if you keep doing that," the physician said. He looked up.

"Whatever," he mumbled. He stood up from against the wall. "What did you want to say to me earlier?"

He sighed. "Well, she won't be able to do anything strenuous for the next few days. Her body's still trying to mend itself."

"What are you implying," he asked cautiously.

"I am implying that any plans you might have for her in the near future, as in _fighting_, will have to be put on hold for a while until she recovers."

"WHAT?" he hollered. "You're kidding me, right?"

"I'm sorry, but it's true. It won't be that long. Give it about two more weeks before she can work."

"I can't wait two weeks!" he snapped. "We need to leave soon. She needs to be able to stand and walk in the next few hours!"

"Prince Zuko, I can't allow you to do that!" he snapped. "If you want her to be up and walking without any problems, then she needs to rest! I know you need her, but can't you work fine without her?"

"She's the only one who knows where the damn place is!" he snapped.

"I'm sorry, but you will have to work around that!" he said firmly. "Not even you should be working so much after the bang on the head you took."

"I don't give a shit!" he snarled. "She's coming with me!"

"She can hardly lift up her arm, let alone stand!" he shouted back. "How do you expect her to fight in this condition? The best she needs right now is rest. If you can't see that, then I'm sorry!" Zuko was aggravated, but knew he couldn't say anything. "You waited that entire time for her to wake and you still don't care about her well being?" He sighed. "It won't be so long. Just wait a little bit. By the time you come back, she should be up and walking."

"I can't wait that long," he mumbled. "I'm leaving." He stormed past the physician, not very sure where he was going. _Why do I care so much?_

'-'

Aww, I had so much fun writing this chapter. It was semi-sweet chocolate! Mmm, chocolate (spontaneous drooling). NEHO, I need a world people! No one's entered, other than the friends I've pressured (o-O)! Please? I need a world for after this one! Puleeze? I will dance! And trust me, I will. Oh, that's right. I promised posters and chocolate covered raisins. I should email it to people… Well until next time, Signing Off.

**Contest: Whoever can tell me where I got Sureiyaa's catch phrase (I'm Sureiyaa, bitch!) get a charater.**


	28. Dismembered Voices

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: I have received one entry for the world contest. I guess if no one else wants to enter, the award goes to blackrose. Actually, Black Yankee had an idea too, but you need to elaborate (not trying to sound pushy.) So yeah, not trying to sound pushy at all!

Thanks to blackrose and Black Yankee for reviewing!

Sorry for not updating soon enough, what with colorguard practice, and with the new Harry Potter book, I've been busy (plus it's hard to find time on the computer itself.)

WOHO! This is for my 400th reader!

Chapter twenty-eight: Dismembered voices

'-'

For once, it was dark in this world, rather than daylight out. The four of them sat on Appa, afraid to leave where they were. They had tried before to walk around, but after stepping in a crack in the floor, Aang nearly fell into an abyss of nothing. It appeared as if they were on some weird islands. It was kind of confusing. The four were fast asleep, the sun far from rising when the sound of voices and footsteps woke them up. "What was that?" Aang whispered.

"I don't know," Katara answered. Tsuchi was awake, but as usual, Sokka wasn't paying much attention. He was still asleep. "Maybe it's nothing important."

"We have no idea if it's important or not," Tsuchi stated. The dried bushes started to rustle again, this time, louder than the first time. The three looked behind them to see a black wolf emerging from the shrubbery.

"It's just a wolf," Katara sighed.

"Why are you trespassing on our property?" the wolf suddenly asked. The three of them jumped backwards.

"Holy smigeki, the wolf just talked!" Aang shouted. This time, Sokka woke up, but not at all pleased with the rude awakening.

"What is wrong with this picture?" he grumbled.

The wolf started to laugh sheepishly. "Oh, yeah. That's right. People aren't used to talking animals."

"Am I dreaming, or is the wolf talking?" Sokka garbled incoherently.

A black mist suddenly appeared from behind the wolf. It had a face; red glowing eyes, but nothing else to it but a mouth. The black mist took on the form of a girl with long dark brown hair, brown eyes, and like everyone else, odd attire. "Blu, I told you. Who are these people?"

"I have no idea. I just found them right now," the wolf responded.

"Um, yeah, we're still kind of confused," Aang spoke up. "Can someone explain things to us?"

"I haven't seen you around," the girl said. "Are you with Ceign?"

"Whoever that may be, no," Katara answered.

She eyed them suspiciously. She didn't say anything, but continued walking forward. "Uh, were only here for a day, so do you know what time of the night it is?" Aang asked.

The girl looked at her wrist. "It's nearly morning in about an hour. I don't usually do this, but why don't you guys come with me? I have a house down here."

"Uh, we're fine right here," Sokka denied. "We nearly killed ourselves trying to get where we are and we just came from a few meters that way."

"You won't kill yourself if you know where you're going," the girl stated. "Just follow me and you won't kill yourself." She continued walking forward. The four of them shrugged, but followed anyways, not bothering to fly in case they lost sight of the girl. Nearly falling twice, the five of them, along with Appa, Momo and the wolf called Blu, arrived at an odd shaped house. She slid open a glass door, beckoning them inside. The quad followed her inside of a neatly built place. The interior was way different than back home, actual colors on the wall, tile installed into the floor, and rugs built into the floor. Large seats had padding and cushions all over it, a black box sat within a stand surrounded by thin, small boxes with pictures and text on them.

"This is really interesting," Tsuchi spoke up.

"I guess you could say that," the girl said. "Not much. The Hollow is much better."

"Sounds like fun," Aang smiled.

"We can go later. I can show you the chicken coops too." She paused for a moment. "I haven't told you my name. I'm Rachel, or Screech when I'm in that nebulous form you saw earlier."

"Yeah, that was confusing," Katara said. "Why are you…?"

"Like that?" she finished tightly. "I don't want to talk about it. To make a long story short, I lost everything, and now I was given this form to stop Ceign."

"Hmm," Katara mumbled, wondering why she always does that.

"Hey, check this out!" Sokka shouted from the inside of the room next to them. He was pressing on a button on a weird what looked like a remote, pointing it at the large black box, which now had random pictures on it. Every time he pressed down on the button, a new picture popped up. "Isn't that cool?"

Rachel pulled the bar from Sokka's hand and pressed a button on the top of it, causing the screen to go blank. "It's just a small screen. I don't see what's so amazing about it."

"Well, we're not from this world, and we don't have that kind of stuff where we're from," Aang answered from a different part of the house, looking down a hall at picture that hung from the wall.

"Well, that explains the clothes," she sighed, moving towards a small circular object that looked like the larger version of the bracelet Hasmik had. "It's seven in the morning. I'm going down to the Hollow."

"Ooo, can we come?" Aang nearly shouted with excitement.

She looked at him as if he was asking for her to jump off a cliff. She thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I guess you can. But you have to follow me. So don't go wandering off, alright?" The four of them nodded.

The six of them left the house, leaving Momo and Appa at the place. They walked through a glass door that was in the same room as the black box, which led off to a metal wired fence with a door. Rachel pushed opened the gate, which let of a high pitched squeak as it did so, it made Blu's ear twitched. She walked onto a dirt patch, surrounded by short dried out bushes that went no higher than their ankles. She walked down a curvy path, leading down to a derelict building, which she pointed out as a chicken coop. They climbed over a board, scratching themselves on the wood, wire mesh and the plants with sharp needle points. She continued walking, winding down through and between the bushes and dead plants until they came up to a pile of metal sheets and wooden posts with another pile of door on the far side, surrounded with glass.

"Are we going to…?" Katara started.

"Climb it," Rachel finished, "why not?" She lifted a foot onto the metal pile, making the metal rub against each other, and lifted her other foot on it at well. She walked across the pile, with noisy footsteps following her, onto the pile of door, the glass crunching under her feet. "What are you waiting for?" she called at them, even if they were only two meters away. Blu had followed her and now sat at her side, walking over to a weird erection that looked nearly like nothing. They looked at another alternative, which there was, right next to it. They walked through the easier path, which was probably more painful, as it was surrounded with the pointy plants. They looked up at the house, which was something by itself.

The small box sat tucked away in a corner, out of sight from anyone. It was almost like a skeleton, at least the kitchen was, only revealing what looked like a stove. But there was a box right attached to it, the wooden walls falling apart, graffitied and looked like it had been done to a large amount of damage. What looked like naturally placed stone steps led up to a cheep porch which looked just as bad as the walls covered in dirt and what looked like a rug.

"Come on," Rachel beckoned. "Come and take a better look at it." She led them up the steps to the ramshackle building. The inside wasn't any better. About six by thirteen, it was thick with graffiti, with slang and inappropriate tagging on its grim walls. There were at least two cabinets, side-by-side, that lied longwise up on the ceiling in the nearby right corner; one had a missing door. A fire place without a back wall sat in the far corner, barely large enough to fit Momo. A meter away was a closet without a door, so much debris and rat droppings filled the inside floor and its lower shelves. Right across was another closet which was almost like a reflection, being in the same condition as its counterpart. Right tucked away at left, almost enclosed by the closets, sat a torn up mattress, almost as if it had been mauled by some kind of monster, more debris and rat dropping littered the mattress.

"Home sweet home," Sokka mumbled sarcastically. "How'd you find it?"

"I just came looking one day," she said. "Look at this: fuck the police. Now that's something anyone wants to see, right?" Even though they had no idea what she was talking about, they nodded anyways.

"I don't know what to say about this place," Tsuchi said, looking around, delicately running her hands over the unfine wood. "It'svery creepy, but intriguing all the most."

"I know, isn't it awesome?" Rachel grinned. "It's kind of like my home away from home." She sighed and sat down on the porch. Blu walked around, looking at nothing specifically. Sokka looked at the place with question.

"Makes you think what kind of sociopaths lived here," he mumbled.

"But the place is so weird," Aang sighed longingly. "It's creepy, but interesting. Kind of like what Tsuchi said. I don't know what to say about it."

Rachel stood up and began to walk away. "I'll be right back," she said to them. "I need to see something. You just wait up, alright?" She walked away, leaving them alone in the eerie box.

"Who do you think use to live here?" Katara asked, looking around at the defaced walls.

"Some psycho, probably," he mumbled, sitting down in the spot Rachel vacated. "So when do we leave?"

"In about twelve hours," Tsuchi answered. "But come on, enjoy the… sights." The sights were indeed interesting. Mainly surrounded by dried bushes and trees, birds were flying around, a rabbit or squirrel here and there, and the sky was as blue as back home. Several bees swarmed around the rundown place, which wasn't much of a surprise, considering that there was a beehive in the kitchen, which there wasn't a door to connect the two small rooms.

Aang sighed. "How long do you think we can keep this up?" he asked suddenly.

"How long can we keep what up?" Katara asked.

"This? I mean, how long have we been traveling around? Do we know when that meteor is coming?"

"Well, it's been at least five or six months over back where we're from," Tsuchi said. "We have at least another month or so."

"But what if they need me?" he said, almost more worried than he was before. "They'll think that I've left them again!"

"I don't think they'll say that," Katara said, reassuring her friend. "Just stay calm. We'll-."

"What?" Sokka asked suddenly.

"What?" Aang repeated.

"Who was calling me?" he asked, almost annoyed.

"No one was calling you," Katara answered.

"Yes you were!" he said, standing up and turning to them. "Someone said my name!"

"Your ears are playing tricks on you," Tsuchi said tauntingly. "You're hallucinating."

"I am not hallucinating!" he snapped at her. "And it wasn't as if it was a whisper. It was practically shouted."

"We didn't hear anything, Sokka," Katara told her brother. Are you sure you didn't imagine it?"

"Why would I need to imagine anyone calling my name?"

"Desparate for attention?" Tsuchi shrugged.

"Shut up!" he said to her.

"I don't know what you heard," Aang started, "but whatever it was-."

"There it is again!" he said, now looking around for whatever it was.

"Again, we didn't hear anything," Tsuchi sighed. "God, can't you understand that-."

At the moment she began to speak, a sudden inner chill swept over the four of them. They looked around at each other. There wasn't anything that denied that. "What was that?" Aang questioned, looking around.

"I told you something creepy's going on!" Sokka said in triumph. "I have no idea what it is, but whatever it is, I swear it ain't pleasant!"

"I guess that's something interesting," Katara said, still covered in goose bumps. "But there might be something that could explain-."

"Katara," Sokka said bluntly, "it's almost a hundred degrees out here. Some spontaneous chill out of nowhere isn't natural."

"So what, are you saying that this place is haunted or something?" she said skeptically.

"Not haunted," Tsuchi corrected, "but there is something weird about here."

"Whatever it is, I'm guessing it's not important," Aang said to them, trying to reassure them. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it will leave. I mean, what's dead can't hurt us, right?"

_"I'm…not………I'm…not…dead…"_

'-'

Yeah, I need some paranormal stuff in here! I'm a para-fanatic! And this spirit will help our bestest friends in their fight against people. Trust me; I guess you could say they have a friendly spirit! Aha, not funny. But the Hollow is an actual place. My friend found it. I've been there before. Like Tsuchi and Aang said, it's creepy, but intriguing. It's basically something you'd see in a horror movie with carnivorous hillbillies. Or maybe something you'd see on America's Most Wanted or Unsolved Mysteries. Until next time, Signing Off!


	29. Wandering Child

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter twenty-nine: Wandering Child

'-'

She nimbly touched the rim of her thin crystal glass, causing it to emit a lovely, pure high pitched sound. It echoed throughout the ship, filling it with the sound of the cries of the glass. Such a pure sound, it was believed that it could awaken the dead. Such an asinine prediction. She stared out into the ocean, placing all of her weight on her cane and on the walls of the ship. Zuko had left the previous day, leaving her alone with Iroh, the physician, and with several other crew members, only taking with him no more than five. It had taken every ounce of her strength and cunning to finally convince the physician that she was well enough to walk outside. Even though he was right, she was determined to show Zuko how fast she could heal. Her joints ached, her side was crying out for her, and her arms were tired of holding up what was now too much weight, but she kept her vigil at the bow of the ship.

She drained the rest of the amber liquid from her glass and looked out at the dark sky, the water that hit the side of the ship glistening in the moon's welcoming light. The summer's hot weather was at its worst, leaving the inside of the ship almost like hell's kitchen. But the outside was most welcoming, the cold air just like a ghost, taking the energy from its surroundings in order to project itself, but having no success as to breathing life into itself. It was like ice on a balmy breeze. She sighed to herself, goose bumps crawling down her pain filled body. "How did I permit that to happen?" she mumbled to herself.

It was something that she had told herself over and over again not to allow, but the universe was against her apparently. She closed her torn eyelids and inhaled the salty sea air. "What are you doing out here so late?" a voice said from behind her.

She turned to face the short man that stood behind her. "It's way too muggy within the vessel. I favor out here."

He frowned at her. "What's on your mind?"

"It's nothing," she said quickly, trying her hardest not to snap at him. "I'll be fine."

"Your arm is trembling terribly," he pointed out. It was true. The arm that rested on her cane was trembling horribly, feeling weaker and weaker by the second.

"I'm fine!" she nearly snapped. "Just feel a bit…drained." She hated to admit it, but it was true. She had been awake for about seventeen hours, spending most of her time outside, not even going in to eat. In fact, Iroh had been the one who had brought her out a glass of mead, which now the empty glass shook violently in her hand.

"You don't look it," he sighed. "Why not come inside? Zuko will not be back for another two or three days."

"He'll be back the day after tomorrow," she corrected him. "God, I don't want to stay around for that homecoming." The ship had been accordingly silent without him, almost lonely…

"I'm sure he'll be glad enough to be… 'home,'" he said to her, removing the glass from her hands, probably for the better. "Just come inside, go to sleep. Morning is another day." She shuttered. She hadn't been in her room for nearly forty-eight hours, and it was surely still in a wreck. She bade Iroh a goodnight and walked to her quarters. She made the journey to the near bottom of the ship, where the heat was unbearable. She took a deep breath and walked into the chamber.

It was such a wreck. Papers tossed everywhere, caked-up blood splattered on the walls, paraphernalia broken, her mirror nearly shattered, her desk and floor covered in shards of pottery, and on her mirror, a message scribbled unmistakably in her blood:

_Call that a warning!_

She shuttered. They had most likely thought her dead, and were probably leaving that for the rest of the crew, but now she was stuck with the mess again, one that she caused. The shards of glass were easily manageable, made from sediments more commonly found back on Engoku, she bended them right into the waste bin that sat beside her desk. She limped over to the desk and looked at all of the papers, checking to see if everything was still there. It wasn't. Her crystal clear memory hadn't failed her: several papers were gone. Either Zuko took them, but why would he need her notes, considering the papers that were gone were irrelevant to the mission. That had to mean they took it.

"Figures," she mumbled to herself. Sureiyaa loved trophies, and took a little prize for everyone she killed. That's how she got her stake. But why would she take papers? Surely, she could have taken something more important? Like her violin, for instance, which lied completely unharmed in the far corner of her room, or maybe the jacket that now sat on her chair? It didn't make sense for her to take just some useless old papers.

_To her at least._

She sighed and began to organize them each into piles, numerical order, starting with one all the way to whatever it was. Hyroki, who had run off previously and had been hiding out in Zuko's chamber without his consult, was now curled up at her feet like a black fuzzy ball. He clicked his teeth a bit, which was a habit for the overgrown rat. It didn't take her long, maybe a half hour. But she didn't move when she was done. She stayed rooted in her chair, her body finally giving up. She sighed heavily. "God, I'll be lucky if Zuko doesn't kill me."

_Why the hell are you so fastidious about what he does?_

It's his craft! I'm just a carry-on…

_But since when do you mind whose ship it is?_

What?

_You never cared! It was father's house, and yet you still treated him as though he was beneath you!_

God, just shut up!

_It's your own mentality, genius…_

Now she was arguing with herself. Things couldn't be any worse.

'-'

"Do you even know where we are?" Zuko snapped at his crew. They had been out for more than an hour, and still, they found nothing.

"I'm sorry, sir," the Lieutenant said to him, "usually the girl-."

"Well, she isn't with us, is she?" he shouted. "The damn idiot had to get herself nearly killed! We're by ourselves! We've done it before, we don't need her assistance! We are perfectly capable of doing this alone!"

"Yeah, we've done this alone, back in our own world! We're outside of the solar system," another said.

"God, are you a bunch of pansies?" he snarled.

"You don't know where we are either!" another snapped. He didn't say anything. He just stood in his spot, with his usual frown. The sky was dark, signaling they were running out of time. They had quickly learned to watch their footing, when Zuko nearly slipped into one of the cracks.

"Look, we can't concentrate if we keep arguing," the Lieutenant started. "We just-."

"And who died and made you leader?" Zuko snarled. "I'm still alive!"

"God, do you want to get the Avatar or not?"

"What kind of a question is that?" he asked. "You know damn well-."

"Then stop _arguing_!" he said bluntly. "God, if you keep snapping at us, we're going to be stuck here, and they could get away, and yet we'll still be here, arguing about where the hell they are!"

"This is ridiculous," he mumbled, passing a ramshackle building covered in graffiti and dirt. He continued to walk when suddenly, he couldn't move forward. It was as if he met some kind of barrier. He tired to step forward, but it was like solid, inflexible air.

"Sir," one of them said. "Are you-?"

"What the hell is this?" he mumbled, completely ignoring the question. As suddenly as it came, it just… disappeared. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. A sudden unnatural chill went over the group.

"What do you—"

_"**Get…out…leave…**"_

"Who the hell said that?" Zuko asked, no trace of fright in his voice.

"I don't know," one of them said. "But whoever it was-."

_"**Get…OUT…LEAVE!"**_

This time, it was more of a snarl, emitting from the inside of the ramshackle building. The chill grew stronger, slowly taking their energy. The group inhaled deeply, but it was to no avail. There was a stricture in their throats, a compression in their chest, almost if they were being smothered with a pillow, or of a child was sitting on their lungs. Zuko and the others were rooted in their spots, almost unable to move.

"What the hell is going on?" he snapped, trying to move. It wasn't as if his feet were stuck to the floor, his feet just didn't seem to get the message.

"Sir, I don't know," the Lieutenant said, pure confusion in his voice. "I don't know what to think of-."

"Get us out of this!" he snarled. It was indeed, confusing, seeing as no one was there, just the seven of them. As they stood there, a small child, pale, was emitting a fluorescent glow from nowhere. Her mousy hair flustered in an intangible wind, flowing with a white nightgown falling to her ankles. Dark circles traced under her eyes, her face and attire splattered in unmistakable blood. Her stare was bone chilling, leaving all of the men unmoving. Standing no more than five meters from him, he could feel a chill running down his spine. It wasn't frightening, just perplexing…

So he told himself…

Before any of them could speak, she began to sing, sing in the most unworldly, and hauntingly, voice…

_"There's a lonely child, who sits by the water_

_Who watches whirlpools flitter by_

_And butterflies_

_With wings of gold, and silver spun_

_Fly round her hair, gold like the sun_

_She whistles her little, simple tune_

_And watches springtime change too soon_

_While all the others run and play_

_She keeps a distance, watchful, fey_

_And little ones beneath the grass_

_Tickle bare toes as they pass_

_Feeling awkward, she draws away_

_And day by day_

_She finds herself at odds with the world_

_As day fades out and night draws close_

_And children run off home_

_A little child sits by the bank_

_And watches stars come out, alone_

_The crickets play their cheery tune_

_To an audience of one_

_Under setting sun, accompanied by dew_

_And all the while the child sits_

_With her back against the world_

_Dancing to the crickets _

_Whilst singing elfish tunes, to _

_A round, full moon_

_Child of the goddess_

_Weaver of the loom_

_Child of the living – _

_And bringer of our doom."_

As soon as she had appeared, she vanished within the blink of an eye, the cold feeling suddenly lifting and bringing back the humid summer weather.

"Wh-wh-what was that?" one of the men stuttered.

Zuko wasn't so sure himself. He had been through so much pain, fear and suffering, and, surprisingly, right next to the duel with his father… and… something else… that was the most frightening thing he had ever experienced in his seventeen years (AN-well it has been almost a year! And I'm sure it'd be very creepy for suddenly, this ghost comes. I've seen a lot of paranormal shows where grown men have been frightened by this kind of stuff.) "I have no idea," he mumbled to himself. He shook his head, ridding it of the listlessness that remained. "Don't let that shake you up," he said to them. "We still have a mission to accomplish." He finally was able to walk forward, climbing over the lumber and metal pile that the child had previously been standing on. He almost made it over to the other side when something grabbed at his ankle, attempting to trip him.

"What the fuck?" he growled, trying to pull his foot loose at whatever it was keeping him still.

"Sir, are you—"

His foot became suddenly free, but not after a childish giggle echoed from under the metal sheet. "What the hell is going on here?" he shouted. "Is this some kind of crude joke?"

"Sir, we have no idea what—"

It was a moment too late when a spontaneous flash of light shot pass them, zooming annoyingly past his ear. "Dear Lord!" he shouted, staring at what shot the bolt.

"Thanks for the fight I'm about to receive!" a voice echoed from behind them. From out of nowhere, a black wolf leapt onto the Lieutenant, biting and scratching every inch it could get its paws on. He swirled up a spiral of fire and sent it straight into the wolf's face, sending it flying ten meters into the air and landing over one-sixteenth of a kilometer away.

Another attack from behind, this time, it was a shot of water in his ear. "You fu-." His words were cut off with a shot he took to the chest, sending him flying into the pile of sharp lumber. He jumped up to see their attackers. The avatar and the water tribe girl stood behind them while the warrior, Hiashi's sister, and an anomalous vapor stood in front of them.

"You're outnumbered!" the vapor shouted to them, taking on the form of a girl. "And don't bother to say we're outmatched. There are practically eight of us, and there are only six of you."

"The hell we won't!" he sneered. "You have a better chance of me getting killed than surrendering!"

She nodded to Aang from behind, signaling for him to retreat. He turned around to retrieve Appa, Katara followed. "Yeah, well, that's too bad!" Sokka stuttered. "You're so gonna get your butts kicked-."

He was silenced when a rock shield appeared out of no where; Tsuchi had lunged herself in front of them. Screech transformed back to her nebulous vapor, disappearing from behind the screen. Sokka dodged from around it, striking the first firebender he could get his hands on. Blu, who had recovered from her fall, had come to help the group, lunging herself onto Zuko's back, pushing his head into the dirt. He kicked to overgrown dog in the ribs, but not after nearly losing his fingers.

The dark sky was soon filled with sparks from the fires, yells of pain, and flying debris. However, even though now Screech, Sokka, Blu, and Tsuchi were now outnumbered, they were right; they put up a great fight. And even so, there was a secret help.

Zuko was attacking the anomalous vapor, trying hard to burn it, but to no avail. He was just about to send a powerful flame, near enough till deadly, when spontaneously, the fire went out. All of them froze. Zuko tried to move his arm, but some kind of force was holding him back. His armor began to freeze, almost like an invisible hand print…

The child who was singing earlier had appeared on his side, her face a black void. "Holy sh-."

When the image of the child disappeared, so did their prey. They were alone in the dark universe. "Where'd they go?" one of them asked.

"Does it look like I know?" he snapped. It was just his luck. How did they loose so badly? They just disappeared like that, leaving them in the dark without a clue what was going on. "How the hell did they disappear so fast without us knowing? It's barely been a few seconds!"

"Actually," the Lieutenant started. "When we got here, it was dark. Look out that way." He was pointing out towards the east-side, where there was a glimmer, indicating it was dawn.

"HOW DID WE LOOSE THREE HOURS?" he snarled, fist surrounded in flames.

"I don't know!" another answered. "Do you think it might have something to do with that child?"

"What, are you saying some random kid made time move forward?" he sneered. "HA! Don't make me laugh!"

"Well, maybe it was a _youkai._"

"Keh!" he scoffed. "There's no such thing."

"So…" the Lieutenant started. "Are we going to go looking for them?"

Zuko frowned. He sighed, looking down at the floor. "No," he said sadly, but quickly turned toward anger. "They're probably long-gone by now. And would you know where to start?"

The group shook their heads.

"Exactly." He stared towards the pile of lumber and metal, jumping over the prickly plants on the floor. "And besides," he added, "I have a bone to pick with a certain subject."

'-'

Ooo, that sucks for him. Yeah, that wasn't so eventful. But I'm hungry and I had to type this up in half an hour because my sis wants to get on. So I think I did a pretty good job. Until next time, Signing Off!


	30. Honest Mistakes

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter thirty: Honest Mistakes

(Gosh, I have no life…And to rant on for who know how many chapters… gosh…)

'-'

The darkness surrounded them as they flew over the new world. Looking down, it was such a hard sight to view, no light at all in their surroundings. "So, what are we looking for now?" Sokka asked from somewhere in the front of Appa.

"I have no idea," Tsuchi sighed. "I don't remember anything about darkness. I'm sure there will be some sort of light soon."

"Yeah," he said sarcastically, "like some kind of black flame."

"Tsuchi should be right," Aang said. "I mean, how long can someone live in the dark?"

"Aang's got a point," Katara said from somewhere next to Aang. "I mean, how long _could_ a person live without being able to see anything?"

"Yeah," Aang added, "I mean, then you couldn't make any friends or play any games."

"I'm sure you could make friends and play games in the dark, Aang," Sokka said blandly. "My only problem is that how are we supposed to land? We could be in like, some kind of restricted airspace or something."

"Why would they need airspace?" Tsuchi questioned. "Do you seriously think they can fly?"

"I don't see why not…"

"Well," Aang yawned, "this place can't be all that bad, right? It's got to be like that last place we were in."

"If it wasn't for that ghost-kid, I don't think we could have been here," Tsuchi sighed.

"What made you think it was a ghost?" Sokka asked. "I mean, why would a ghost look like that? They're transparent creatures and that wasn't transparent most of the time."

"Symptoms, Sokka," she sighed, "symptoms…"

They flew in the pitch-black world for what seemed like an hour when a spark of light and a loud bang echoed from the floor. The four of them jumped up and looked over the side of the saddle to see what had caused such a loud cacophony. Following it were more of the loud bangs, all consecutive, lighting up right below them.

"That's not nearly enough!" a woman shouted once the bangs were silent. "God, you are a bunch of connards, you know that? I want to see bullets flying into the direct center, not even one-tenths of a millimeter shy of it! Do you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am!" echoed several men and women below. Silence fell over them.

"I want your eyes to be sharp, despite the darkness. I want my army to be quick." She paused for a moment. "Bet you fifty lek I can hit the bison in the sky, right now."

"Oh, shit!" Sokka hissed, steering Appa in a different direction.

"What are you talking about?" one of the girls squeaked. "I don't see anything." The others agreed.

"That one," she said, and a bang went off. A glint of silver shimmered in the sky.

"Not Appa!" Aang cried, and with lightning reflexes, he took his staff and swung it as hard as he could, sending the bullet hurdling back to earth. Screams were heard as the sound of something hitting the earth echoed up to them.

"Snap!" one of them shouted.

"Who could have done that?"

"I don't know!"

"What's an Apa?"

"You fucking sissies," the girl snapped. "Lord, do I have to take care of them myself?" several more shots were fired. Aang swung his staff like mad (AN: for some reason, I want to say 'Like a killer at piñata party.' Don't ask…)

"Why are they attacking us?" Katara said hastily. "We didn't do anything!"

"I told you," Sokka yelled back, "restricted airspace!"

"Damn it!" the girl snarled, shooting several more rounds at the bison.

"God, if she wants a fight, why don't we give her one?" Tsuchi snapped as Aang blew away all of the bullets.

"I see light ahead!" Sokka exclaimed. "Thank God!"

"Ah, shit, they're going into the light realm!" a man shouted.

"Don't let them go!" the girl snapped, shooting at them, one of which zoomed dangerously close to Aang's ear. They were several centimeters away from the border when another bullet nearly rammed itself into Aang's staff. They finally past the border, a stream of curse words following their trail. This side was indeed lighted and much more vivid. White structures ran in straight rows, extending as far as they could see (which was quite far, since the area was so well lighted) small open spaces that were occupied by markets, and people bustling around. A group of individuals occupied a large field, practicing archery. They were quite skilled, hitting small targets thrown up in the air.

"Well, at least they aren't trying to kill us," Sokka sighed, continuing to fly Appa through the air. No one seemed to notice them, and if they did, no one seemed to mind them flying through. The feeling of safety was short lived.

"Attention travelers," someone called from the floor, "please descend now before we are forced to shoot you down!"

"What, do we have a big target tattooed on the side of us and no one told me?" Sokka groaned, steering Appa to the floor. They were quickly surrounded in a circle of green and yellow, nearly twenty arrows pointed directly at them.

"Why did you come out of the Dark Realm?" a man said, pushing his away into the circle, also wearing green that matched his vibrant eyes.

"We're not evil, if that's what you mean," Aang assured, stepping out from behind Appa to see the man.

"How do we know that for sure?" the man asked, staring at them almost hypnotically.

"Come on," Aang said cheerfully, "do we look evil?" He flashed a wide, childish grin at him.

"Sir," Katara interrupted, "we don't mean to hurt anyone, we're just passing through and – what happened to my shadow?"

The four of them looked down. Sure enough, none of them were casting a shadow, almost like ghost. No one in the crowd was, and there was quite a few. No buildings, no trees, nothing was casting a shadow. The man stared at them funny.

"Surely you'd know," he said bluntly. "Why would we have shadows in the Light Realm?"

"Wouldn't you get tired of the light, though?" Tsuchi asked. "Come on, light beating against you twenty-four hours, all year? You must at sometime in the day, have it dark."

"'Twenty-four hours?'" the man scoffed. "Asinine. The days do not last for so long. Where would you get such a silly idea like that?"

"Like we said," Aang repeated, "we're not from around here."

"If not from here, or from there, then where from?" the man demanded.

"Not from this world," a woman's voice said from the crowd. The men with the arrows lowered their bows and knelt to the floor. The crowd followed. The man just stood there, but bowed low when the female came into view. The group just stared at her.

She was beyond beauty, her golden hair pulled back into a loose ponytail with two loose strands on either side. Her eyes matched her hair, pretty much the same gold. She stood out, being the only one in sight wearing a long magenta halter gown that fell to the floor.

"Where do you originate from?" the woman asked in a kind, but firm voice.

"Uh," Aang strained to try to explain, "I don't know how really to explain."

"Dr. Light," the man said, almost baffled, "surely these people are not safe. They might be spies for the Dark Realm!"

"So where would they get such color in their skin?" she asked. "You know how pale the Dark realm is. These people have some life in them, so obviously, they cannot be spies."

"On the contrary," the man began to argue, "that's exactly what they could want us to think. They could have hired turncoats from the other side."

"Are you daring to argue with me?" the woman called Dr. Light asked sternly.

"No, ma'am," the man mumbled.

"Then do not contradict my words." She turned to them. "Assert your titles."

They gave her a blank stare.

"She sighed. "It's a simple question. I just want your names."

"Oh," the four said sheepishly, telling them who they were.

"So, why are you here?" she asked them.

"Just wandering around, I guess," Aang said.

"We aren't here to cause trouble, if that's what you want to know," Katara said.

"Really, we'll be leaving in a few days, so you don't have to worry," Tsuchi added.

Sokka, who hadn't said anything since they were air born, was just staring at the woman, a blank gaze on his face. Katara looked at him. "Sokka, are you okay?"

He nearly jumped. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," he answered curtly. "Can we go now?"

"Now wait just one moment," Dr. Light said, grinning, "Harris, take our newly found guest up to my castle. And do not argue with me," she added when the man in green opened his mouth to argue. "I shall see you in five minutes, and I will not take no for an answer." She turned on her heel and walked back into the crowd.

"If I hate anything," the man called Harris sighed, "it's loosing to my sister."

'-'

The girl who had shot at them earlier walked into the black office. Only a single candle was lit, but even the fervent flame was black and silver. She brushed away a strand of her deep magenta hair behind her ear with the silver ring and looked at the man sitting at the desk. His long enough silver hair was pulled back in a small ponytail resting at the base of his neck, his fiery red eyes glowing eerily with the help of the candle's flame.

"What is it, Cruel?" he asked, his brows furrowing, causing the scar that ran down his nose to project itself out.

Cruel sighed. "There was, you won't believe it, a bison, just outside, right now."

He looked at her piercingly. "You are kidding me, right?"

She shook her head.

"Well, did you shoot it?"

Cruel frowned. "That's the thing. I don't know what they did, but they were manipulating the winds somehow and I had clear shots, but-."

"Tell me, Cruel," the man interrupted, obviously getting the message, "you like your job here, right?"

She nodded.

"And you are excellent at your profession, right? I have seen you hit the head of a pin from two-hundred meters away when it's thrown in the air, so you must be good. But am I mistaken? Do you really suck and I wasn't informed?"

"Moonbright, I didn't—"

"I don't want to hear it!" he snarled, slamming his fist on the desk. He left a crater under his hand. "Spirit, you missed the broad side of a building! How the hell could you miss that?"

"I told you I was sorry!" she snapped. "How much more can I say?"

"I don't know. Haven't you heard the phrase 'Words can't heal'? Because you surely act like you haven't. You damn bitch; there is no excuse or act of contrition that can make up for your failure. Maybe I should just fire you."

Her eyes widened. "NO! Can't there be recourse or something?"

The man called Moonbright fell back in his chair and thought for a moment. "Come here, Cruel." She didn't move.

"I SAID GET OVER HERE!" he spat, speaking louder, causing the flame in the candle to flicker. She grudgingly moved to the desk, slowly making her way to the angered man.

"Closer," he whispered. She stopped, but moved closer.

"What the hell is that? Closer," he repeated. She couldn't get any closer; she was already pressing up against the desk. She leaned forward. He remained quiet, adjusting his black trench coat.

"What?" she asked in almost a whisper. It happened so fast she didn't even see it coming. He had pulled out a dagger, and in less than a second, she was bleeding; she had a six inch long cut nearly three inches lower from being her neck.

"Let that be a warning to you, bitch!" he sneered. "No one gets awaywith failure here, not even you. Now get out of my sight, you filthy traitor." She stumbled out of the room, humiliated and angered.

'-'

"WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?" Zuko snarled, the first thing he had said when he set foot on his ship.

"Zuko, glad you are back," Iroh said calmly, playing with his card tablets. "How was it?"

"Where the hell is she?" he growled, storming around, kicking open random doors.

"Where's who?" he asked, not really paying attention.

"You know damn well who I'm talking about!" he snapped. The others had followed behind him, looking at him as if he lost it. "YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM ME FOREVER!"

"Who are you conversing with, God?" a voice asked from behind them. Hiashi stood in clear sight, leaning on her cane.

"You stupid bitch!" he snarled, walking up to her, kicking her cane out of reach and striking her as hard as he could. Lucky for her, he missed, right when the crew lunged themselves in front of him, trying thier best to restraining the indignant teen.

"What the hell was that for, you fanatical bastard?" she yelled at him, supporting herself against the wall.

"You fucking damn shenanigans caused me to lose the Avatar again!" he snarled.

"And why does that correlate with me?" she snapped.

"You had to stay here and we had no idea in hell where we were going! It's your fault!"

"How am I at fault for this?" she yelled, baffled. "You're the one who lost him. This is your undertaking, not mine! You were perfectly well by yourself even before I got here!"

"That's beside the damn point!" he yelled. The torches that lit the inside of the corridor were now turning the ship into a virtual oven, flaming dangerously high. Zuko struggled to get past the men, but it was seven against one, and there was a complete barrier between the two.

"Then what is?" she asked him. "What's the use? Why are you suddenly relying on me to make all of the verdicts for you? Since when are you so confided in me? I'm just here. You're the one who let me on your dim-witted craft in the fist place!"

He stopped struggling with the crew. He just stared at her, glaring, with piercing eyes. He slowly walked up to her and stared down at her, almost like she was just a simple nonentity. "You're right," he said quietly.

"I am?" she asked, almost dumbfounded that he would admit such a thing.

"Yes," he said calmly. "I let you on this ship." He paused. "I can also kick you off."

"What?"

"Zuko-" Iroh started.

"I'm sick of you, I'm sick of you always telling me what to do, I'm sick of you always acting like I have no knowledge of anything, I'm sick of you acting all superior, all smart, I'm sick of you acting like a complete bitch, and I'm sick of that damn rat of yours. I want you off of my ship; next port we hit, you're off- I don't care what you have to say," he added when she opened her mouth to protest. "Like you said, this is my ship. I can do whatever the hell I want. And what I want is for you to get off. Get your things together. You leave in three days." he turned around, all eyes following him. No one knew what to say about it. He had made his command, and whatever he said, went.

'-'

Well, that's pretty much it with this chapter. Yeah, it was pretty confusing, but now I have a few things going on at the same time… way to hurt people's heads. Well, until next time, Signing Off.


	31. Like a young boy punching a girl

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: Smiles all around! I nearly got scammed! Yeah, this lady says she was from Amsterdam and she's dying and she claims to have like 8mil dollars and she wanted to know what charity to give it to. So I suggested HCA (Holy Childhood Association for those unaware), and she wanted me to be the benefactor! So I told my parents and they told me to delete it. That was really weird though. But as psychotic as that was, band is much more psychotic. Why would someone do drugs? Wanna get high and the same effects as them? JOIN COLORGUARD! It's just as drugg-ish...

Sorry this is so late. School and what not.

Smiles all around!

Chapter thirty-one: Like a young boy punching a girl.

'-'

The wide inside of the dining hall was illuminated with the light from outside. The four of them sat uncomfortably at the end of the long table, just sitting there, waiting for someone to make a move.

"So," Dr. Light finally said, "tell me about where you came from. I have never seen such a fascinating group of people before."

"Well," Aang started, "it's really complicated, but we're really trying to hide from someone."

"Really?" she asked in such interest. "Who is this person?"

"More like people," Katara clarified.

"An exiled prince named Zuko and my sister, whom we have no idea what her name is," Tsuchi answered

"I find it sad that you do not know your sister's name," Dr. Light sighed. "As he has told you earlier, my younger brother works for me. He is head of my archers. A fantastic squad, they are."

"Yeah, we saw them earlier," Aang noted, remembering the archers that had attacked him a few months earlier. "They're… something."

"Yes, the Dark Realm has sharpshooters. They are quite skilled, but to our disadvantage."

"Why would you say that?" Katara asked.

"Well, arrows are thin, but they do not cut into the air as quick as a bullet does. Bullets are shot out and travel at speeds twice as fast than an arrow might. And with an arrow, you can easily dodge it, but a bullet moves so fast that you cannot even see it coming. Also arrows break easily, while bullets are made of metal, so not as easily destructible."

"So… why don't you just trade over to what they have?" Aang asked.

"Well, we just do not have the technology or funds to fashion such advanced artillery. Plus the only advantage using arrows is that you have a better idea of where it's going. It just seems— is he alright?" she asked suddenly. Sokka hadn't said a word for over two hours, which was odd, considering he usually was always talking.

"Who's alright?" he said suddenly, as if snapping out of a trance. "I'm alright! Everyone's alright! Right?"

"Uh, sure," the woman said timidly. "So," she said, trying to change the subject, "how long have you been traveling?"

"It's kind of hard to say," Tsuchi answered. "We have been traveling for quite a while, but we only know by our own planet. It's been about five months."

"Kind of like a save mission," Aang explained.

"How interesting. I am glad you chose our realm, rather than the Dark Realm. They are not very friendly."

"We should know," Katara mumbled.

"Why do you hate them so much?" Aang asked. Being and seeing so many people torn apart by feuds had been pretty much all he had seen.

"I forget now," Dr. Light sighed. "So long, stories have changed to our advantage, so much confusion; it is very hard to place a finger on it. It is sad, really. I am not sure whose fault it might have been. Probably ours, maybe theirs. Whoever it is, they did not want to come to our side; too bright. We did not want to step foot into their realm; much too dark. They preferred their world, and we preferred ours, but for some reason they have started up an attack against ours. Bullets are being shot at us. In the last fortnight, we have lost just about twelve people, three of them, some of our best archers."

Sokka coughed, sounding incredibly like a laugh.

"Well, why haven't you returned attack?" Tsuchi asked.

"Would you imagine what destruction that might cause?" Dr. Light asked, almost baffled. "It would cause such madness, it would turn into a war much greater than anything in the universe."

"Don't we know a thing or two about war," Sokka mumbled.

"All we have is until the end of time which is many, _many_ days from now. Once the universe loses its energy to create more galaxies, it will soon contract. Maybe then, we won't have to worry about them as much."

"I like to talk about the end of the world as much as the next guy," Aang said, more disturbed than interested, "but I think we should change the subject. Anything new with… uh… stuff?"

"I do not understand your question," Dr. Light said slowly, "but things seem to be going just fine. Nothing that I can think of is worth speaking of."

Silence fell over the group again; nothing much heard other than the bustling and noises from outside. What seemed like an hour had passed when Sokka finally spoke up.

"So are we just gonna sit here or what?" he snapped. "I don't want to stay here any longer. At least in this place, anyways."

"Sokka, what is wrong with you?" Katara snapped at him.

"Yeah, Sokka, you've never acted like this," Aang agreed.

"Yeah, well, maybe I should! I don't like this place and I really want to leave it!"

"Dude, chill out!" Tsuchi said.

"I ain't gonna 'chill out'!" he shouted. "I never really wanted to come here in the first place!"

"There is a door," Dr. Light snapped. "If you feel that this is too awkward, you may step out, but I will not have you here ridiculing my nation!"

"Some nation!" Sokka sneered. "You probably just own less than a kilometer of it! And no shadows or darkness? How the hell do you sleep at night? It's friggn' crazy if you ask me! I'm outta here!" He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

"I am so sorry!" Katara instantly apologized when he left. "I have no idea what has gotten into him! Usually he doesn't lash out like this… at least not this badly."

"Your brother might just be upset by the recent assailment in the Dark Realm," Dr. Light sighed. "There is something about the place that makes people uneasy."

"But I feel fine," Aang said, poking at himself. "Nothing seems changed."

"I feel fine, too," Tsuchi added. "Don't feel no different than I usually feel."

"Same thing here," Katara said. "Why is it only affecting him?"

"I don't know," Dr. Light sighed. "I am as clueless as you may be."

"Maybe…" Tsuchi trailed off.

"Maybe what?" the three asked.

"I'm saying he might just be acting childish," Tsuchi said surreptitiously.

"I am not catching your drift," Dr. Light said slowly.

"I don't get it," Aang said disappointingly.

"Neither do I," Katara said.

"I figured you wouldn't," she smirked, leaning back in her chair, leaving the others to look at her curiously.

_I think it_, she though. _He totally likes her_.

'-'

"What the hell is his problem?" Hiashi growled in the mess hall. Most of the crew had also been quite shocked at his reaction to the whole thing. "Since when is he so contingent on me?"

"I sort of agree," the Lieutenant sighed, picking at the food on his plate. "Usually, he doesn't want to hear anyone's opinion, let alone people he's just met."

"Exactly," she sighed, resting her head in her hands. "He sincerely exasperates me when he acts up like this. All I'm doing is helping. He doesn't have to react like this."

"Well, I'm not standing up for him or anything, but you can't blame him for being upset you couldn't come. We were pretty lost and we were assailed badly. You're usually the one who find them. He's just digging himself a bigger grave, letting you go like this."

"It's just queer," she said, "why all of a sudden has he banked on me?"

"There's only one way to find out," he shrugged, "ask him."

"Are you kidding me?" she hissed. "He doesn't even want me near him!"

"That's sort of impossible if you live on the same ship."

She shrugged. "I guess that's true…"

"You have today and tomorrow. After that, you're S.O.L."

"I guess there's not much he can accomplish that he hasn't accomplished already," she groaned.

He thought for a moment. "Actually, yeah…I don't know."

"What are you insinuating?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," he said baffled. "Why, did you think I was implying something?"

"Sure sounds so," she answered. She turned her head and stared at her dish. "I'm leaving." She stood up, taking her untouched dish to the cart. "I need to talk to him. This can't wait."

'-'

She had seen it coming. It always happened. Every time something bad happened, something even worse or to equal value always ensued. This was no different. It had been over a day and the two hadn't even made eye contact, let alone spoken a word to each other. It was nearing the end of the day and after tomorrow, she wouldn't have a chance to settle the argument. Despite the fact he didn't want to even hear her breathing, she decided to close the case.

"Why do you loathe me so much?" she finally asked him that evening. He had perched himself on the wall of the ship. He didn't move whether it was because he didn't expect her to be so foolish and come up and talk to him or because if he did, he could fall into the depths of the ocean.

"Because you act like such a bitch, alright?" he answered curtly. "Why do you hate me?"

"Because you act like a refractory, selfish, irascible, arrogant, haughty jack ass, that's why," she said candidly.

"However you put it, it's the same thing," he mumbled. "Get the hell away from me," he snarled, hopping off the ledge of the ship. "I have better things to do than to talk to lowlifes like you."

"'Lowlifes like me'?" she laughed. "I am not a reprobate!"

"You grew up in Engoku," he said bluntly, "that's as low as it gets."

She glared at him. "Don't you even _dare_ talk malarkey about Engoku! It may be hell on earth, but it was the only place I _could_ call home!"

"Please!" he scoffed. "You're so called 'friends' nearly killed you and you still have the nerve to stand up for it? That's sad."

"Who said _they_ were my friends?" she said stiffly. "I did know other people."

"I don't care," he mumbled. "If you're trying to convince me to let you stay, save your breath, 'cuz I'm not budging."

"Why the hell do you have to be so adamant about the rudest of decisions?" she demanded. He looked over her shoulder and smirked.

"I don't have to care," he said a bit louder, "about a filthy mudblood peasant such as yourself."

"God, would you _lay_ off it?" she yelled.

"I'll bet you'd want to leave now, huh?" he asked surreptitiously.

"What gives you that idea?" she asked, irked.

"Turn around."

She didn't need to turn around. She knew who was behind her. How many, it was unsure. She looked half way back, and from the corner of her eye, she could see about six or seven of the crew members, staring at the two in disbelief. They heard his mudblood comment. All of her anger suddenly exploded in his face.

"YOU FUCKING JACK ASS!" she screamed.

"I'm only speaking the truth," he said simply, as if he did nothing wrong.

"No wonder your father reviled you!" she sneered. She had his attention, along with the crew. They were just staring at the two, amazed at their words.

"That's right!" she continued. "You'd think mortification and pain would help you learn to mind your rank tongue, but I guess not! It works with dogs; I presume they're smarter than you!"

"You shut—"

"I'M NOT DONE!" she snarled. "You think you have honor? _HA_! I have more nobility than you!"

"I have honor, you little bitch!" he growled fiercely.

"Where?" she sneered. "With the rest of your hair and face? Where's that now? Oh, _wait_! It's at the Fire Nation! A place where you were ostracized! _Why_ was that again? That's right! For opening that damn mouth of yours! It just goes in one charbroiled ear and out the other with you pure bloods, doesn't it?"

"I can easily earn back everything I lost!" he snarled. "You've got nothing! You're alone in the world! Once I get the Avatar, my father will welcome me back with open arms! At least my father isn't six feet under!"

"At least my father loved me unconditionally!" she simpered. "I didn't have to gain his reverence. I freely admit that I did stupid things, but he always welcomed me back with open arms. You? Two simple gaffes and he sent you off, hoping to never see you again."

"What the hell are you talking about?" he snarled.

"Open your eyes, Zuko!" she yelled. "That damn kid was gone for a hundred years! There was a point-fifteen percentage that you would actually find him! Did you even bother to stop and reflect about that, or am I the only one who knew that? He only sent you away on that operation because he figured he'd never see you again. How long was it until you actually found him? _Two_ frik'n years! Didn't out of all that time, you ever think your father plain out stopped loving you?

"If I was you, I would stop and think about that kind of stuff. Don't you think you should be committing your time to something useful other thanartificial thoughts?"

"What the hell do you know?" he yelled, and with do doubt, he was not only aggravated, but distressed. "All you had was a father. You ruined your chance of harmony with him, and I'm not letting mine slip out of my reach! You're just jealous that my father's not a pansy! And my mother still has her head."

He has the last words. She had already drawn the sword from her cane, and was about to strike him, Zuko doing the same, when the crew had made their presence known by lunging themselves between the two of them.

"_What is going on here_?" Iroh's voice roared from behind them. "Prince Zuko, Lady Hiashi, explain yourselves!"

Hiashi tore herself away from the men, turned to Iroh and decreed: "By God, I am as eager as he is for my departure! Your nephew's thicker than this planet's core!" She turned to Zuko, who was barely visible through the guards. "**_Prince _**Zuko," she said, emphasizing the word, 'Prince', "as God as my witness, I swear I will make you suffer. I will not die until I have damage you until my contentment, or may I descend to hell." With her final words, she left.

(Random note: If a promise you don't keep, it will haunt you in your sleep. O-o)

'-'

Nothing much, but crap will happen in the next chapter. We will be ignoring the Aang gang for a tad bit, but not for too long. Maybe until I get this story out. Well, until next time, Signing Off!

Oh, and go to makingfiends. com. There was an art contest and I got honorable mentioning. I'll let you guess which one. But the age group is 13. Then when you're done looking at the pictures, you can watch the cartoon and pretty much where it came from until Nickelodeon offered the maker a place on nick. com. It's an awesome show. Watch it!


	32. I hate everything about you

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: I'm back again! It took me so long because I got a laptop, but it broke down on me and it had my chapter in it. I was so sad. NEHO, if you are just getting this chapter, you might want to go back a chapter. If you had not noticed already, I have replaced the questions I asked with a chapter. So if you didn't know that and you were reading this story and you missed chapter thirty, then go back then come back and read this chapter. I don't want any shocks now. And another reason why I took so long was because I had to do a LOT of thinking. I was explaining the plot line to one of my friends and they said not to make something happen because it will ruin the whole concept of something else, and what they said actually made sense. So I redid the entire ending so that way it didn't quite ruin anything. Not all the way anyway. NEHO, here you go. And to my oldest sister, HI! She says to review before she invokes her squirrelly wrath upon your feeble human heads (honestly, she said that. Just look at her review…). On with the fic!

Chapter thirty-two: I hate everything about you

'-'

It was quite easy for her to pack what little she had. All she had were the extra clothes she bought, her mother's ring, her violin and her father's skull. Other than that were the notes she made of the worlds.

_I'll leave that for Zuko_, she thought to herself. Her eye twitched at the thought of him.

"He's such a jerk," she mumbled. "He doesn't care about anyone other than himself. God… no wonder the shrimp is always mocking his intelligence." Her mind stared blankly at her thought. She turned to her desk and rested her weight on it.

"Lady Hiashi," Iroh said from the door, "why must you give into my nephew's rant? He means nothing of it."

"He sure sounds adamant," she sighed. "Maybe he does mean it. What am I to say he's prevaricating truth? I'm not spending another day with someone who will make a mockery of my existence. He's congruent or worse than his father."

"I would not say that," he said sternly. "How sure are his words? My nephew sometimes speaks before he thinks as…" he paused, "…you fully noticed."

She knew he wasn't at all pleased with their argument, then again, no one was. She buried her face in her arms and sighed.

"I said I was sorry for that," she said with a muffled voice. "I have this thing where I get started on something and I can't stop until I'm finished. But that's beside the point. I'm leaving and nothing you or him say will stop me."

"So you're just going to leave?" he asked.

"Damn straight I am," she said bluntly. "Got everything planned out."

"Are you doing this because you think Zuko hates you?" he asked. "Because if you are, how sure are you about it?"

"His words," she answered plainly. "Haven't you heard him? He's only said it so many times. He made jokes about me growing up in Engoku and then brought my parents into it which was totally gratuitous."

"You did the same thing," he said frankly.

"Yes, but mine wasn't gratuitous," she said defensively. "I had an intention."

"And your point was…"

"That…" She stopped herself. "You heard what I said and to be candid, I would rather not reiterate myself."

"Either way, you took an argument and placed it out of proportion. And you know what?" he started to add. "None of you learned anything."

"I did," she said. "I learned Zuko wants me dead! He could care less about me and frankly, I agree. He abominates me more than he hates that one guy he's always raving about. Zou or such…"

"He does not hate you that much, I'll tell you that," he cleared up. "If anything, he likes you more than most."

She began to laugh which was interrupted by a hard cough. "Please," she said hoarsely, "that's the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard. And I know ludicrous."

"You haven't noticed?" he said almost baffled.

"Noticed what?" she asked skeptically. "How much of a jerk he can be? Because I sure noticed that."

"No," he said sternly, "in fact, some of the things you do leads me to believe he respects you. You say things that would get people like Lieutenant Jee into much trouble."

"What does that prove?" she asked. "Nothing, that's what."

"Normally, he wouldn't let complete strangers on his ship, but surprisingly he allowed you. Can you explain that?"

"Easily: you invited me. He has to respect you."

"Ah, but here's the catch," he smirked, "most of the time even _I_ don't get away with things I put him though. Did I ever tell you about the Lotus tile incident?"

"No, but Lieutenant Jee did. You dragged Zuko to some market place thing to get a Lotus tile; you meet pirates, a bit this and that later a boat is lost and it turns out the thing was in your pocket the whole time."

"And do you know what he did after that?"

She laughed a bit. The thought of Zuko throwing the small wooden chip over a cliff was imaginable.

"He threw it off the cliff!" he finished. "You say he respects me, well I don't think so."

"That doesn't mean anything," she said stiffly. "That's just one thing."

"Well, uh… how about the time he called draw with you?"

"Please, if it had been a more convenient time I'd be a cadaver."

"What about the time he found out who you were? He could have thrown you off then."

"He's a jerk, not an idiot. He knows better than to let me go. I know things."

"What about the time you were shot?"

"What about it?" she said, shifting sides. "There's nothing to muse over about that."

"There is so much proof in front of you yet you fail to see any of it."

"Then why bother trying to prove anything to me?" she snapped. "If I won't take you might as well give-"

"Because I know you are smarter than that. You know as well as I do that you don't hate him and vice versa," Iroh answered curtly.

"I apologize, but who are you to tell me that I don't hate him? Everything you say has a plausible answer to it and all it leads to is his common sense.

"Not all of it," Iroh said simply.

"Really?" she said skeptically. "What kind of 'good deed' did your nephew do that substantiates that he has any sort of soul within that shell he calls a body?"

"You remember when the young ladies from Engoku broke onto the ship and left you for dead? Zuko fought them almost single-handedly and if you didn't notice, he suffered injuries too."

"Not as bad as-"

"Do not interrupt me. As I was saying, he could have left you there to die, but he didn't. He made sure you had immediate medical attention. He wouldn't let anyone but the physician near you- in fact, he wouldn't allow any of us to fix him until you were taken care of. He did not eat nor sleep until you were awake. He kept a very close vigil on you. Any twitch or noise you made, he was anxious. I have never in my years seen him so adamant about something like that. And when he found out you couldn't go with him to the next world, he was more aggravated than anything we have seen.

"He may act like a jerk some times, but you have no right to say he doesn't care. If it was anyone else, he would not have cared so much. You are the only one his age he's talked to in a long time who understands him. He might be happy he has someone other than the crew to talk to. There is no loop hole with this."

She stared at the floor, trying to process what Iroh said.

_Damn… there_ are _no loop holes. Why_ would he _want to save me? If I died, what loss would he have? He could toss my body in the ocean and no one would have to know. He could destroy all evidence and anything related to me would—_

_But the crew…_

"So, what do you think?" Iroh said triumphantly.

"What about the crew?" she asked.

"Eh?"

"The crew, what about the crew? If he let me die, the crew would have known. I know the crew likes me and if he let me die, they would be livid and they could notify the Fire Lord. Envisage how much tribulation he'd get into if he was caught affiliating with the enemy. That wouldn't look very good and he doesn't want to succumb. So if he let me die, he'd die as well. He wouldn't want that to transpire now would he?"

Iroh let out a terrible groan. "There is NO use getting through to you!" he groaned terribly. He slammed the door behind him, causing the interior of her room to vibrate.

"Damn," she mumbled. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. "Lies," she said to herself, "all lies. There is no way he's fond of you, there is no way you enjoy him, end of story. Everything he does has a plausible reason, and I'm not one of them."

_Just lies…_

'-'

The only source of light came from the candles sitting on the alter. Zuko sat in the darkness, trying his hardest to meditate, but too many thought penetrated the silence of his mind.

_Damn wench… damn Avatar… damn universe… they all suck. Why can't thinks go back to normal? I'd rather be at home, sentencing people like her to their deaths. I want to go home, where I wouldn't have to worry about any of this…_

The flames of the candles laughed at his misery, trying their hardest to keep themselves standing. He shot a deadly glare at the candles and they immediately stopped.

_Damn candles…_

"Prince Zuko, are you busy?" Iroh whispered, allowing the light from outside to wash over the dark room.

"I seriously doubt you have any information on the Avatar, so why are you bothering me while I meditate?" he asked, trying with all he could not to snap.

"I came to talk to you about Lady Hiashi," he said, closing the door behind him. "Are you really going to allow her to leave?"

"Of course I am!" he snapped, causing the candles to wince back in fright. He looked at his uncle with a fierce look. "Why wouldn't I? She's completely useless, only uses our resources and I swear to God, that damn rat of hers has been lounging in my quarters! I want her out, end of story!"

"She is not completely useless, Prince Zuko," Iroh said. "She has helped you out tremendously. Can you give her a break, just this once?"

"No breaks," he said quietly. "I've had it with that piece of trash and I want her gone."

"Are you doing that out of anger? Have you thought this through?" Iroh asked.

"What is there to think through?" he snapped. "I have no qualms about it. What has she done for me recently that is worth keeping her for?"

"Zuko, she is not some animal that you can say whether you want to keep her or not. She is a human who deserves to be treated like one."

"She hasn't deserved that luxury yet," he said. "Is that all?"

"No, I'm not finished yet!" Iroh groaned. "Can't you just swallow your pride and let her stay?"

"HOW CAN YOU ASK ME TO DO THAT?" Zuko snarled at him. "That is worse than anything you could ask me. I will not let that filthy street urchin live in my ship any more!"

"Why can't you just allow it just this once?" Iroh argued.

"No," he said adamantly. "She is on my top three most hated list.

Iroh gave him a quizzical look. "Okay, I now know who the first two are, but who is the third?"

"Marukai," he answered. "That freeloading bastard."

Iroh bit his tongue to prevent himself from laughing. "Do you know why that is sad?"

"No," he said huffily, "and I don't care. Now leave me be. I have more important things to do."

"I will not leave until you admit you don't hate her and you agree to allow her to stay."

"Fine," he said. "I don't hate her. I abhor her. Now leave me be."

"Let me rephrase that," Iroh sighed. "I will not leave until you admit you don't hate her or any other synonym to the word 'hate.'"

Zuko looked at him. "Whatever you said… I don't care. We hate each other. End of story."

"That is not true," Iroh said.

"I'd like to see you prove it," Zuko said skeptically.

"By the way you've been treating her, she could have left any time, but she decided to stay."

"She's not stupid. She'd know better than to leave."

"She's taken near death for you. Does that count for anything?"

"Keh!" he scoffed. "That's her own stupidity."

"You just finished saying she wasn't stupid!" Iroh moaned.

"Call common sense an intelligence some have, while others ignore it."

"What about when you left her behind recently? She tried her hardest to get up just so she can join you. She bit her tongue through the pain and you still have the right to say she doesn't care?"

"Yes I do," he said simply. "That only shows that she thinks I'm too incompetent to find the Avatar myself. I've been doing it for three years, longer than she will ever do. That monk is as good as mine and I don't need her to get in the way of things and treating me like a feeble child!"

"Well at this point, you are sure acting like one!" Iroh snapped. Zuko looked at him with astonishment.

"Repeat that?"

"You heard me right! The two of you are acting like a bunch of children over the whole situation. You both think you're right, you both won't listen to what the other has to say, and you're taking this whole predicament out of proportion!"

"But I—"

"Do not interrupt me!" he snapped. "She helped you by force and said nothing about it, biting her tongue through it and you still can't be grateful at what she's done for you! All you've been doing is yelling at her for being who she is. She too takes things out of proportion, but you should at least be the adult if you think she won't! She accepts the fact you won't change, but you won't. Can't you accept things as they are?"

"Well—"

"I seriously think you should. You think there is logic in your actions, but in reality, you don't see what the real picture is."

"What are you—"

"She knows, Prince Zuko, about the Engoku incident. There's no point in denying what happened. Everyone knows. Just admit it: you want her to stay."

Zuko remained silent. His insides were churning with fury. Mortification and humiliation filled him, yet was overpowered by his aggravation at his uncle for informing her of what he did.

"Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked slowly.

"I will not admit that," Zuko snarled quietly. "I thought I told you to never speak of that again?"

"You made me do so," Iroh replied. He sighed. "You have a choice. You either let a perfectly accommodating person slip from your grasps, or you can allow her to stay. It's your choice. If you lose her now, the Avatar will be lost forever. It's up to you whether you want her to stay. I'm tired of trying to convince you." Iroh stepped outside and closed the door, leaving him in the shadows.

_It was nothing, what I did,_ he thought. _I still hate her. I hate her… I hate her… I know I do…_

_Hiashi…_

_What kind of a weird ass name is that?_

He tried to shut the conversation out of his head, but it still reiterated itself in his head, making it hard to meditate.

"Damn it!" he growled, jumping to his feet. "I can't do this!"

He pulled his shoes on and walked outside into the humid summer air, trying with all he could to forget what happened.

He found his way to the back of the ship, a place he always went to when he was stressed or wanted to be left alone.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_ He thought, leaning himself against the ledge. The ocean waters whipped themselves against the ship. _I've grown soft on everything she's done. She hasn't done anything useful and when she does, she ends up doing something to make things worse. _

_I've been going easy on her unintentionally. What's wrong with me? Why am… scratch that, have I gone lenient on her? Do I_ actually _feel_ sorry _for her? Have I gone mad?_

He contracted his body forward, exhaling all his energy and stress.

_I hate everything about her. Her attitude, the way she knows everything, how she always gets things done and done right. I hate it…_

_So why do I feel guilty for her? If I get rid of her, I don't even know how the hell she always knows where the Avatar is. I have know idea how she always knows, but whatever she's doing… she's… doing a… a… good… job. _

_Why am I acting so nice towards her? Is it me? What is this feeling? I feel guilty, and that day… why did I care so much? Have I actually grown accustomed to her? That's preposterous! It can't be! She's leaving and that's final! _

_Then who's going to so the work she leaves behind? I have no idea what she does!_

……

_That's no it, is it?_

'-'

Oh, well then… eayeah… about this, you see…


	33. A question without answer

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's Note: I just HAD to put this chapter up. I want EVERYONE to know what's going down! Will they hook up? Will they admit their feelings? Will it be worse than the heated chair? No one knows… (But I do!)

Chapter thirty-three: A question without answer

'-'

The nighttime dawned quicker than expected. In less than twelve hours, Hiashi was going to be eating dust, as that was the day they were stopping at an Earth Kingdom port. Although she awaited for the day with unadulterated joy, she still was filled with fear at the possibilities that awaited her.

The silence of the night was penetrated by the sound of a sungi horn and the sound of men enjoying themselves. Hiashi, who was trying to forget what she was going to miss out on, allowed the sound of their joy fill her.

_I wish I could join them,_ she thought. _But what are the chances they're going to want me to be near them after that act I performed?_

Yet the sound of singing and music called to her. They wanted to play and so did she. "Damn temptation!" she snarled at herself. Without anymore hesitation, she picked up the case by her feet and limped her way out her room up to the deck where Iroh and half the crew sat. As usual, Zuko was in his room, keeping himself away from any source of joy. Although she was mesmerized by the ecstasy present, she wondered whether to intrude.

"Do you have room in your games for a lonely half-breed?" her voice asked. The music automatically stopped. Iroh stopped singing and the dancers stopped mid-sauté.

"I don't know," Lieutenant Jee said in his sarcastic tone, "are you going to jump ship at the first sight of the Prince?"

She smirked. "Fuck Zuko tonight. I want to play." She held up her violin case. "Have room for one more?"

Iroh nodded to the men. "Allow her to enjoy her last night with us. Come, you are welcomed to play with us. We were just finishing up this song."

She meandered over to the crowd, popping open her case as she went. "What are we playing?" she asked, positioning the cold wood against her shoulder.

"We were just about to do 'Into the Sky.' Lucky for us, we could use you."

She could almost let her fingers jump and start playing the song by rote. She could remember teaching herself to play the song and how much fun it had been to learn. "Alright," she shrugged. "Who signals off?"

"I will," Iroh smirked. "One-two…"

Setting tempo, she opened the song with a blast from her violin. The music flowed from her into the open air. The sound of the drums and winds were so hypnotizing that she didn't even notice Iroh had started singing.

"_Ma wi ka ya ma na  
ma wi ka ya ma  
ma wi ka ya ma  
za me ya…_"

Zuko tried as hard as he could to stay away from the music. It wasn't like it was his idea for music night in the first place. But the music sounded different that night. It sounded much more cheerful in a softer tone; more exhilarating than most. "God, shut up," he snarled under his breath. No matter how hard he tried to forget there were even instruments on bored, the music called out harder to him, playing the soft, yet spectacular notes that could rival the song of the spirits.

"_Ma wei kama ya  
ma wei kama ya  
ma wei kama ya ma  
ne man kam be ya_

Reluctantly, he stood up and walked up to the deck. _Maybe they won't see me,_ he prayed. He would lurk in the shadows. Perhaps he'd just get something.

The words to the song became clearer, yet were still vague. It was in a language he had heard of once, but never came to listen to.

"_A ma kaya ma na  
a ma kaya ma na  
a ma kaya ma na  
a me ya_

"_Ma wi kaya mana  
ka me ya kema ya  
ma wi kaya mana  
ka me ya…"_

_I knew this was a dumb idea, he thought. No one in their right mind would—_

He spotted Hiashi playing her violin, smirking while watching the men leap and play to the call of the music. "What morons," he mumbled, unheard. "Why am I even here?" He turned around and went in the opposite direction to the other side of the ship.

"_A ke ya  
a ke ya  
a ke ya  
a ke ma ya_

"_A ke ya  
a ke ya  
a ke ya  
a ke ma ya_

"_E na ma  
e na ma  
e na ma  
e na ma na,_

"_E na ma  
e na ma  
e na ma  
e na ma na_

The sound of them faded away, yet he could still hear their songs where he was.

_How could I let this happen?_ he asked himself. _Just let her take over like that? How could I do that? And why am I questioning my choices? I'm sure of what my choice is and that's—_

"What're you doing?" a voice asked from behind. He turned to see Hiashi leaning on the edge of the ship. "Why'd you come out here? I was trying to have fun and you had to come out here and ruin it. Go back where you came from and leave us alone."

"It's my ship!" he snapped. "I can go wherever the hell I want!"

"Not tonight, you can't,' she said casually, inching her way over to him. "It's my last night, not yours. And besides, I thought you hated music night?"

"I left something down here," he lied. "What right do you have to tell me where I can and cannot go on my ship?"

"I don't," she smirked. "But still. I was having—"

"You didn't have to come over here," he snarled at her.

"But I did," she said, now standing next to him. "Chiefly because you had the air that you needed to talk to me. What did you want?"

He remained silent, watching the waves for the second time today hit the ship. He asked himself whether to tell her what he substantiated.

_It's the only thing you can do._

"I think you should stay," he said quietly.

"Repeat that?" she said, hitting the side of her head. "I think I had something fanatical in my ear."

"Shut your mouth," he snarled. "You're staying and there's nothing you can say to get out of it."

Hiashi started to laugh. "See," she started, "this is exactly why I want to leave in the first place. That damn cynicism of yours gets a little exasperating sometimes."

"Like your opinion matters to me," he said. "I can care less about what you say."

"Ha!" she scoffed. "Since when do you _not_ care about what I say? That's your main problem. You care too much about what others say mostly because you have too much arrogance."

"So what if I do?" he snarled. "Is that a bad thing?"

"See, this is precisely why no one likes you," she said sourly. "You're too narcissistic. You always have to be right. Can't someone else be right for once?"

"What are you—?"

"You know exactly what," she answered. "Everyone's wrong at one point. Just because a person's wrong, doesn't make them stupid. Thinking outside your own little world once and a while doesn't hurt."

"What do you know?" he sneered. "With such little education and hardly any family to speak of."

"Yeah, so what if you're the history and philosophy kind of guy. I'm the common sense child. I at least think about the possibilities rather than the ones I hope it would be. What are the chances that you'd be right?"

"Yeah right, he scoffed. "Since when is this all about being right?"

"That's not your only problem!" she snapped. "Your attitude towards others is atrocious, even those who try to treat you with kindness."

"Who gives a crap!" he growled. "They just get in my way!"

"But what if they just want to help you like I do?"

"Since when would you want to help me?" he snapped.

"One of us should get out with everything, and I'm out of luck, so it better be you." At this point, she was speaking quietly.

"Well, what the hell would it matter anyways," he finally said, turning back to the ocean. "What do you care?"

"You'd be surprised," she answered. "Now answer me this: what made you change your mind?"

He remained silent. How to answer her question without losing his stance. Either way, he felt as if he'd lose a part of himself.

"Because," he said, "who's going to do what you do?"

She remained silent. "What, is that all I'm worth to you? That's exactly what I'm talking about. All you think and care about is yourself."

"And what leads you to believe that?" he nearly shouted again.

"What you just said!" she noted. "'Who's going to do what you do?' What does that spell out? The only thing it notes is that I'm useful for one thing and one thing only: just to help you. And what is the key word now? Oh, that's right, 'you!"

"Who says that's the only thing?" he shouted. "What if you do something else?"

"Like what?" she said skeptically.

"I don't know!" he snapped. "You might be doing something that we can't see."

"So what, that's all you can say? I can't stay if that's all you can pronounce concerning me. There's got to be a better rationale."

"I can't think of anything, that's the problem!" he snapped.

"Alright," she said calmly. "I'd like to know what the hell happened to you. Why the sudden change? I thought you were a jerk who was bent on getting the Avatar, no tag-a-longs, no distractions. So why am I staying?"

He didn't answer right away. "Because you're… you're…"

"I'm what?"

"You're more helpful than I thought you'd be, alright?" he retorted.

"Then can't you just put it bluntly for the sake of our conversation?" she asked. "I can't go around trying to guess what's in your head; I'm not a psychic."

"I know that," he said "But that's not the point. You should have known."

"And how do you deduce I do that?"

"It was obvious that I was trying to tell you!"

"Yes, I speak signal," she said sarcastically. "A simple 'you're doing fine' might drop hints that you don't hate us."

"Compliments only blind people," he snapped. "It distracts them from what they were really doing."

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "A compliment now and then might encourage a person to—"

"All it does is blind someone," he repeated. "If I was to say someone was doing a good job, all that person is going to want is more compliments and end up trying to copy what they've been doing by rote all this time. Pretty soon, they're going to screw up. If I keep my mouth shut, they'll just keep going about, doing the same thing every time and I don't suffer."

"And here we go again!" she said exasperated, turning away from him. "You're only caring about yourself."

"It affects other people too!" he snarled. "Not just me."

"But you fear it will affect you, you never said anyone else."

"Well either way, someone gets affected horribly."'

"Why does it have to be you, though?"

"It doesn't," he said simply. "It just so happens to be me."

She didn't answer right away. She began to fiddle with a hem in her jacket. "So…," she began.

"So…" he responded.

"There's no excuse for you wanting me to stay?" she asked, slowly inching closer. "Anything… you might want to tell me? Anything at all?"

"Not that I know of," he said slowly.

"So what, I'm just here because you don't know why?"

He sighed. "Pretty much so."

"Oh, that's just great," she said sardonically. "That just makes me stop wanting to leave."

"You want to leave?" he asked. "Of all things, I figured you'd want to stay. You've been saying how you'd get killed the moment you step off the ship."

"Screw that!" she snarled. "I could care less about death now. If it comes, it comes."

"Suicidal now, are we?" he said dully.

"With the life you've lived, I'm surprised the thought hasn't even crossed your mind."

"Suicide's the coward's way out," he answered. He paused for a moment. "How did we get started on this conversation?"

"I asked why you were ruining my evening, and we got into this conversation. It's interesting how conversations branch."

"Whatever," he mumbled. "You're just staying, that's the end of it."

"And why might I ask, other than the fact no one can do what I do? I mean, there has to be another reason. The signals, Engoku, what Iroh said, what was that about?"

"Noting that important," he mumbled. An awkward silence fell over them; only the sound of the men on the other side pierced the silent air. "So," he finally said after five minutes, "are you—"

"Staying?" she finished. "Sure. That is if I have no other choice."

"You don't," he answered her. "I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Fine then," she shrugged. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have friends to get back to. Good evening to you, sir." She stepped away from him and headed back to the commotion.

"Just one more thing," he said suddenly. She turned to face him.

"What?" she asked him.

"I… uh… have a question," he stuttered.

"Go on," she said, surreptitiously.

"I was just wondering… What do you think… of me? Do you hate me, like me, what?"

"Why the sudden question?" she asked.

"I don't know, just answer," he snarled.

She was silent for a moment before answering: "I thought I did. But now I know otherwise." With that out, she left.

'-?


	34. Ceria

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: I'm BACK! My word document had a temporary set back, but my daddy fixed it! Yay! Well, I know a few people are waiting for me to finish, so I will let you read on! Yay!

Chapter thirty-four: Ceria

'-'

Katara walked outside to her brother. "Sokka, are you okay?" she asked.

"Okay?" he snapped. "Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be okay? Do I have to be happy to be okay? Why is it that I can be happy without a reason but I can't be upset without a reason? Why do I have to have a reason? That's retarded! If I could just-"

"Sokka, it was just a question," she said calmly. "What's the real reason?"

"Nothing," he mumbled. "I need some air. He walked past her, heading out to the court yard. She sighed and went back into the meeting room.

"So yeah, this is a cool place," Aang said as Katara walked in. "And the archer people… yeah that was interesting."

"Thanks," Dr. Light said, playing with the end of the table cloth. "How... nice."

"Did you figure out what was wrong with your brother?" Tsuchi asked when Katara sat down.

"No," she frowned. "He was just snappy. He said he needed some air."

"Mmhmm," Tsuchi said sarcastically. The three of them looked at her suspiciously.

"Well, anyways," Dr. Light said, interrupting the silence, "how long do you presume you will stay?"

"Not very," Tsuchi answered. "Probably until tomorrow. We promise we won't cause any trouble."

"Well, I suppose you can stay. Even though you did cause uproar for my army. We didn't quite appreciate that."

"Sorry," the three said in unison.

"That is fine," she said.

"Oh, but we don't have money or anything to trade," Katara just remembered. "How will we stock up on the things we need?"

"Well," Dr. Light said almost regretfully, "my government can lend you some money. But we can only do so for food, that is it."

"Thank!" Aang said in astonishment. "That's the nicest thing anyone's done for us!"

"Well, as much as I enjoyed spending time talking to you," Dr. Light said standing up, "I think it is time for you to leave."

The three of them shook her hand and walked out of the room, outside into the bright courtyard. "Well that was nice of her," Katara finally said.

"That was," Aang responded. "We haven't seen this kind of kindness since Hasmik. But she was willing to pay for hotel too. But this is just as nice."

"Hey," Tsuchi said suddenly, "where is your brother?"

The three looked around. "Yeah, where _is_ Sokka?" Aang asked Katara.

"I don't know," Katara said. "Sokka?" she called out, but no one answered back.

"Let me try," Tsuchi said. "Hey Sokka! We're going to eat and we're leaving without you!" Still, no one answered.

"Sokka!" Katara called out again. "_Sokka_!" she said more sharply, but still no one answered. The three of them spent nearly five minutes calling Sokka, but couldn't find him anywhere in the quad.

"Where can he be?" Katara said worried.

"Who knows," Tsuchi sighed. "He could be anywhere."

'-'

Sokka walked down the cobblestone street, grumbling under his breath.

_Stupid people, stupid Dr. Light, stupid sun, stupid knife. Why did I have to wield it? Why did we have to leave? I want to go home, deal this with this a different way. God know how much damage is done. _He kicked a rock hard, hitting a girl standing about a few yards away.

"Ow!" she shrieked.

"Sorry," he said, walking up to her. "Didn't mean to."

"What, we're you not thinking?" she asked, picking up the rock and tossing it in the air.

"Am I supposed to think while I kick?" he asked.

"Ionno," she answered. "I guess it'd be nice if you did." She kept tossing the rock in the air.

"So yeah," he said after a while, "I'm just gonna—"

"Why haven't I seen you around?" she asked him suddenly.

"Uh, I'm not from around here," he answered.

"Really?" she said in amazement. "That's fascinating."

"I'm sure it is," he said, quite confused.

"I'm Ceria. So what's your name?" she asked.

"Sokka," he replied.

"Sokka?" she laughed. "What kind of name is that?"

"What kind of name is Sara?" he retorted.

"It's Ceria," she said. "Yeah, I think it's kind of a stupid name too. Go figure, right?" He looked at her in uncertainty.

"So," he said slowly. "What now?"

"Don't know," she said. "Let us walk and talk."

"Okay," he said reluctantly. He followed her in silence when she suddenly spoke.

"So why are you alone?" she asked him. "You seemed troubled."

"No reason," he answered her. "I was looking around."

"Judging by the way you were grumbling, looking down and kicking things, you were upset. Why? It's not like I have anything else to do or any family to get to. What's up?"

"Why would I confide in a complete stranger?" he said, aggravated.

"Because a complete stranger would give an unbiased opinion," she said. "So why are you mad, Sokka?"

He looked at her with suspicion. "Fine," he finally said. "Well, it's like this:

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my sister. She pretty much started the whole thing. See, we met this kid and he has to do something really important. So we decided to help him. We've been chased ever since and it's been really stressful. I'm kind of just following around. Then we meet this other chick, and now she's following us and she's more use than I am! Then all of a sudden I'm supposed to hold this sword and I don't even want to. I just want to go home, where things were normal. It annoys me and no one bothers to hear me." He kicked up a dirt cloud and kept on walking. Ceria thought for a moment before saying:

"Well, maybe you do serve some sort of purpose," she said. "Tell me, would you trust your sister alone with this guy? Not that I'm thinking anything nasty, but come one, do you think he could protect her?"

He thought for a moment. "Well, he could."

"But come on; do you really think two people who are younger than you can take on how many you say there are?"

"They can," he said.

"I doubt it," she said, shaking her head. "If you had chosen not to go and your sister got killed, whose fault would that be?"

"I don't know," he shrugged.

"And if you didn't wield this knife, what would have happened?"

"We'd still be home," he frowned.

"So leave yourself in a bubble? I see. Everyone needs to live at some point. Would you rather live normally or die a hero? Whatever you're fighting for, I'm sure it's honorable."

"But people hardly even know who I am," he sighed.

"You don't know that. I'm sure you've left your mark somewhere," she smiled.

"Like where?" he snapped.

"Somewhere, I'm sure. Think, is there someone whose life you changed?"

He thought for a moment. "Maybe, I don't-"

"I say yes," she intervened. "Everyone is needed, anywhere. We were all put here for a reason, even if it is to make a little change. I say you're apart of that group for a reason, but you just don't know why yet. I say stay with it until you find your reason."

"That sounds stupid," he said. "Who knows how long that could take."

"So just give it up? That's laziness right there."

"I'm not lazy!" he snapped. "I'll show you! I'm meant for something!"

"That's the spirit!" she smiled.

He was just about to leave when he stopped suddenly. "Why did you want to help me? You seem like you'd have much better things to do than to help complete strangers."

"Keh, yeah right!" she laughed. "Do you remember where you found me?"

Sokka thought for a moment. "It was… It was a sword shop."

"Exactly," she said, turning the other way, walking back into the crowd. For reasons unknown, he hoped he would never figure out why she was there.

'-'

After spending over thirty minutes of looking for Sokka, the three of them decided to split up, hoping at least one of them would find him. Aang's mind was split in two: looking for Sokka and looking at all the markets. The interesting foods and snacks, the toys, trinkets, nick-knacks, the place was just a big toy box. A flower stand sat up ahead, kept with the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen. Knowing he had to keep looking for Sokka, Aang couldn't help himself. He meandered his way over to the stand where an old lady was watering a crimson looking vine.

"See anything you like?" the old woman said, pulling back a stray white hair.

"Kind of," he said slowly. He looked around, all the flowers different than he would have imagined. Every shade from the color spectrum was there; red, yellow, green, scarlet, ochre, violet, gold, azure, so many to choose from. But one in particular caught his eye. It was silver and almost heart shape. It only had four petals, but it was so big, nearly the size of his hands side-by-side. "What is this?" he asked the old woman.

"Ah," she smirked, walking over to the plant. "The Hora Bud. There's an interesting story behind it."

"Really?" he said with amusement. "Tell me."

"Well, it was one said there was a young lady who used to collect flowers. It didn't matter to her if they would live or not. She would dry and press the flowers, turning them into beautiful art work. One day, a very close male friend gave her a Hora Bud. She went through her usual flower drying process, but the flower wouldn't seem to dry. In fact, it didn't seem to age. She waited months and months, but it just wouldn't do anything. Finally after a year, her male friend asked her out. She replied with a yes. A few moths later, they were married. The lore behind this flower is that if you were to give it to someone you truly like, the flower will determine if it is true love or not by staying fresh or wilting. Many lovers buy this flower. It's quite interesting, the number." She smiled.

Aang thought for a moment. It was quite an intriguing story to him. If the flower had powers the way she said it had then maybe…

"I'll take one," he said. He was just about to reach for one when he remembered what Dr. Light had said to him earlier that day:

"_My government can lend you some money. But we can only do so for food, that is it."_

"But I don't have any money," he frowned. "Will you be willing to trade something?"

"The old woman smiled. "Buying one for a lucky girl, I presume? Well, I will be willing to trade something for it. What do you have?"

Aang frowned, but dug into his pocket for something he could trade. He pulled out everything, which wasn't much: a piece of lint, a copper coin from their world, a rock he thought looked nice and his bison whistle. "Uh, I don't have anything," he said sheepishly.

The old lady looked at the items in his hand. "The copper coin might be able to pay for one," she said kindly.

"Really?" he said with such excitement. "That'd be great!" he handed the woman the coin, and she handed him the flower. Aang ran back into the crowd, happier than he had ever been that day.

'-'

_Did I figure out where we're going to next?_ Hiashi asked herself. _Probably not. Just goes to show how stupid I am._

Ever since she had talked to Zuko, she had turned against herself. Rather than seeing herself as right, she saw herself as wrong. "Failure," she said in a sing-song voice to herself. She ruffled through her notes, not even sure as to what she was looking for. "Smooth one," she mumbled. While she read through the papers, one seemed to catch her attention for some reason. She looked at it.

_Planet 189047103: two sides: 1) bright, no shadows, 2) dark no light_

_47244640256÷2 (35x)_

_Answer: 1.375 for every hour there._ _Ain't that magnificent?_ She frowned. "With conditions like this, I better get some sort of metal for this."

'-'

Yeah, this chapter was kind of 'blah,' but the next chapter, I'm hoping to have people kill people, so we'll see what happens. Well, until next time, Signing Off!


	35. Death is a gift

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: I didn't want to update unnoticed, so I made two chapters. Yeah. I'll let the people read now.

Chapter thirty-five: Death is a gift

'-'

"Sokka, where _were _you?" Katara snapped as she saw him come up to her. "We've been looking for you! What-"

"I'm fine," he said calmly. "There's no need to exaggerate, okay?"

After a few minutes, the two of them caught up with the others. Tsuchi had a devious grin on her face.

"So why were you mad?" she asked him.

"I solved that," he answered. "Just needed to talk to someone."

"Really?" she simpered. "With who?"

"You don't know her," he said. "I just had some anger issues; I'm fine."

"Anger issues?" Katara asked quite skeptically. "Since when do you admit you have anger issues?"

"Well, if I'm going to be here, might as well," he said irked.

"Wait, you were mad to be here?" Tsuchi frowned. "I thought _you_ thought Dr. Light was hot!"

"Not even!" he snapped at her. "I'm over that," he then mumbled incoherently. "But that's not the point. The point is that we're here, and I'll just make the most of it, right?" He gave them a thumbs up and walked past them. "It's getting…" he thought for a moment, "late, we should… sleep or something." He shook his head and walked over to Appa. Confusion set amongst them.

"Since when did Sokka act like this?" Aang asked Katara.

"I don't know," Katara frowned. "But whoever changed him is a saint."

'-'

The next day, Sokka went looking for Ceria, hoping to see her again. There was something about her that was so interesting, but he didn't know what. He wanted to thank her for her help yesterday. He spent a while looking, not seeing her at all. "It's a small town, he said to himself. "Where can she be?"

"Talking to yourself again?" a voice asked him. He looked up to see the sword shop owner. "And we thought you people were just weird. Sokka looked at him funny.

"Hey, have you seen the girl I was talking to yesterday?" he asked. "Her name was Ceria."

"Kid, I don't know what you're talking about," the man said roughly.

"She was here yesterday!" Sokka nearly shouted. "I was talking to her! She had brown hair kind of pulled back, brown eyes, green dress, shorter than me, come on! You must have seen her!"

"Kid, the only person I remember to that description killed herself a long time ago. Came to this stand a few years back and bought a penknife like this one," he said, holding out a small silver blade. "I don't know where you'd get such a ludicrous statement."

Sokka stared at the man, trying to absorb everything he just said. "What are you talking about?" he said skeptically. "I just talked to her yesterday. She's not dead."

"All I saw was you, talking to yourself," the man shrugged. "I don't lie." He turned around and when to the back of his stand to polish some arrows.

Sokka walked away from the stand slowly. His mind was still trying to figure out what the man had just said. Could Ceria really be dead? No, she had been dead for a while. But how could that be? He walked over to the town's cemetery, which was quite a lovely looking thing. Marble gravestones were scattered about, bright, vibrant flowers everywhere. He looked at every single headstone there, trying to look for some sort of sign. He spent nearly an hour looking when he found it

_Ceria_

"So it _is_ true," he whispered.

"What is what true?" a voice from behind asked. Sokka screamed and jumped forward.

"What the hell?" He turned around to see Ceria. "What the- but the- and the- I though you- WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"

"What are you talking about?" she questioned.

"You're dead! Why are you here?"

She laughed at him. "I'm not dead, silly."

"Then how do you explain that?" he shouted, pointing to the tombstone.

"That's just a typo," she said, shifting her eyes.

"Well, what about the guy at the sword stand? He didn't see me with anyone yesterday!"

"Uh, eye stigmatism?" she shrugged.

"You're DEAD!" he shouted again. "Why are you still here?"

"If I was dead, could I do this?" She walked up to him and poked him hard in the arm. She sat down next to him. "Why are you having a mental break down again? What did I say about them? Never when the sun is up."

"You're dead," he kept mumbling to himself. "You're dead, I'm asleep, when I wake up, I will be back at home, and none of this ever happened."

"Too bad it did," she smirked. "Stop having a mental breakdown. Only I can have mental breakdowns."

"You're dead!" he repeated. "Why are you really here?"

"To come back and haunt you!" she said in a cheep imitation of a ghost. "Wooo!"

"This isn't funny," he frowned. "People think I'm crazy now."

"Well what's the fun of being normal when if you do something OOC, it's weird? I say acting weird is the best because then you could do whatever the heck you want and it's never out of character for you. Ain't it great?"

"I wouldn't know," he grumbled.

"Hey, I thought it was fun," she smiled. "Go out there, have fun. Be weird. Eat food. And most importantly, find out why you're here, kay?" she stood up and helped him of the ground. "Well, I's gots to go. Laters, Sokka!" She walked away, disappearing into the forest next to them.

"She's dead!" he shouted again.

'-'

Cruel had become snappier since her encounter with Moonbright. He had ridiculed her when anyone could have missed that shot. "Damn mother fuckers, the target's right there!" she snarled. "An infant can get that? Can't you do anything?"

"You missed the broad side of a barn," a guy retorted. "Cut us some slack!"

She growled inside, still ashamed that she had let something so big slip away. "Get the hell over here, Shyanne."

He walked over to her. "You're not going to be able to shoot me at such a close range. You might miss." The others laughed.

"Really?" she smiled sarcastically. She grabbed his arm, twisted and broke it.

"AHHUGH!" he shrilled. "You crazy bitch!"

"Let that serve as a warning!" she snarled to the lot of them. "Anyone who gets on my bad side will loose a limb. Got it?"

No one answered.

"_GOT IT_?" she snarled deeply.

"Yes!" the team said.

"Damn straight!" she growled. "And anyone-" Her words were cut of by a flame shooting out from behind. But it wasn't an ordinary flame. It was orange. The team screamed and squealed, running in different directions. Cruel began to shoot at them, but a girl came from behind her and had her by the throat.

"Tell us where he is!" a male voice said from ahead. Cruel's gun had been knocked out of her hand, lying on the floor just a few feet away. She would have tried for something, but the woman holding her had a sword to her neck.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Cruel snarled.

"A monk on a bison came through here just yesterday. Where is he?" the girl asked.

"And why should I—" A barrier of fire surrounded her, but the fire wasn't orange this time, it was black. "What the hell?" Even the man looked at her in confusion.

"Ever been razed by this?" she asked her gingerly. "Not very entertaining in my judgment. Hurts like a bitch."

"Spirit, please," she laughed. "Black fire doesn't even hurt your sight, how can it burn?"

The girl laughed. "Tell me, have you ever felt dry ice? If you gaze at it, it doesn't hurt, if you lay your hand an inch from it, it doesn't feel all that arctic. But… when you touch it," she placed a burning finger on the girl. Her screams filled the empty courtyard, "it burns worse than you could ever imagine. Now tell me again where the bison went and you won't get hurt."

She looked around to the rest of her collaborators. They stood there staring at her, not even flinching. She gritted her teeth, hoping that when she got out of this, she could kill them all. "Fine," she said through clenched teeth. "They went that way" jerking her head in the direction of the border, "into the Light Zone. I swear that's all I know." The man nodded to the girl. She laughed.

"Just to make sure you never speak of this again," she whispered, she pressed down on the blade and slid it across her neck, dropping her body on the floor, now looking like an overgrown chest.

"Hiashi, what the fuck was that for?" he snarled at her as everyone had ran off screaming.

"Save my name for scolding, I see how it is," she smirked. "Get over it." She stepped over the girl's lifeless cadaver and over to the border. "Well, what the hell are you waiting for? You have an Avatar to catch."

'-'

"Well, it's almost time for us to go," Tsuchi sighed. "This has been very delightful, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," Aang smirked. "Full of surprises."

"I said delightful, not surprise-ful."

Aang laughed nervously. "I knew that!" he smiled. "Now when are we leaving?" He hauled a sleeping bag onto Appa, nearly missing Momo. "Can't wait to get to the next world!"

Tsuchi eyed him funny. "Okay, first Sokka and now you. What's going down here? Did I miss the bizarre-o message? What's up, Aang?"

Aang frowned nervously. "Nothing's wrong! Why?" He looked off to her side and spotted the Hora Bud was poking out of his knapsack. "Why don't you sit down?" he said, rushed, stepping in front of the flower. "You've been working so long. You need a break. I'll take it from here." He shoved the flower back into the bag and started putting the bags back onto Appa. Tsuchi eyed him.

"Okay, what's up? I haven't seen this kind of behavior since Mikonko couldn't stop staring at me. What the devil fish is going on?"

"Nothing, stop being paranoid. I'm not paranoid. It's all good, kay?" He flashed his childish grin and continued loading up their stuff. She eyed him again.

"Okay, seriously, what's going down?" she said. "Tell me."

Aang didn't answer right away. "There's nothing wrong," he assured. "Just excited!" He smiled again and continued packing. She glared at him.

"If I find out you're lying, I will beat you with Momo." She turned around and continued putting things in the saddle. Aang let out a sigh of relief.

_That was a close one._ He turned and looked out at the town. The sun had been beating down on them for the past twenty four hours and he began to feel hot again. He looked out at the people, sad that he'd miss staying here. He was just about to turn around when something dreadful caught his eye. "I should have known," he groaned.

"What?" Tsuchi asked, looking up. She turned to see what he was looking at. "Damn it!" she whispered. "Where're Katara and Sokka?"

'-'

Sokka slowly walked back over to Appa, still trying to decipher what happened. _She's dead!_ he kept telling himself. _Not alive, dead! She-is-DEAD! Yet she is solid. But I saw the gravestone! She's dead! Dee-ee-ae-dee. DEAD! Am I hallucinating? I must. This is all a dream and I will wake up… NOW! _He looked around, but was still in the same setting. "Damn," he mumbled. He turned on the corner and saw a swarm of people. "Who are the- Zuko!"

'-'

"What the hell was that about?" Zuko snapped at Hiashi when they silently crossed the border into the bright world. You senselessly killed that person. What was that for?"

"It wasn't for you," Hiashi snapped. "She deserved it."

"And the black fire," he added, "where did that come from?"

"No where," she snarled. "God, if you're so erudite on the ways of the Fire Navy's defense tactics, then you'd know, alright?" She walked past him. She was only able to pass him by five feet when a voice shouted:

"Halt! You're crossing the border illegally! Put your hands in the air." The both of them turned to see a guy with brown hair and green attire. He was pointing an arrow at him along with several other people. Hiashi and Zuko stared at him. "I said put your hands up!" he snarled.

"We heard you the first time," Zuko snapped.

"I will shoot if you don't! I'll count to three. One…"

The two of them stared at him.

"Two…"

"Zuko, maybe-"

"_Three_!" Before he could let the arrow go, Zuko jumped at him, striking him in the chin with his foot. The rest of them fired, but all missing, for the best by Hiashi's standards. She kicked up the dirt from underneath them and knocked down several men at a time. They recovered quickly and attacked her. The guy and Zuko on the other hand, were engaged in a deep battle.

"I'm not here for you," Zuko snarled. "If you let me leave now, you'll leave unscathed."

"Yeah right," the guy sneered. He pushed himself away and grabbed an arrow from his quiver. "Take this!" He pulled his arm back and lunged at Zuko.

_Critch!_

The lot of them stopped. They turned to the two of them, both staring wide-eyed at each other. Zuko and the guy were breathing heavy, both shocked at what happened. Gasping for air, the guy fell to the ground, blood gushing from his abdomen. Zuko, although having an arrow scratching his shoulder and leaving a pretty deep gash, was still baffled at what he did. When the guy attacked him with his arrow, Zuko drew out his knife and held it out, ultimately stabbing him.

"Oh my…"

"Harris!" the others shouted coming to his aide. Hiashi grabbed Zuko by the good arm and dragged him from the chaos.

'-'

"Where's Katara?" Sokka whispered under his breath. He hadn't stayed long enough to figure out where she had gone. He knew the others were with Appa, but that was as far as it went. He didn't dare call out her name in case Zuko or that girl would hear. But not calling out was harder.

_Try the river._

"The river?" he asked himself at the spontaneous note. "Do I even know where the river is?"

_Down in the forest, dur._

Not completely knowing why, he went into the forest, where in his surprise, was a river. And conveniently, Katara was at the edge, filling their flask.

"Katara!" he hissed at her. She turned around.

"Sokka, what are you-"

"Shh!" he hissed again. "We can't stay long. Zuko and that one chick are here."

"Really? Where?"

"Right now I don't know, but we need to leave, now!" She quickly sealed the flask and in no time to spare, the two were running back to Appa.

"How did you find me?" she asked him as they raced through the forest. "You left too soon to find out."

Sokka didn't answer right away. He now knew why. "Just a lucky guess."

'-'

"Good one, Zuko," she snarled at him. "Way to waste time."

"You did the same thing!" he snapped. After leaving their little fight, they soon had discovered Aang and the rest of them had long after. Seeing no other recourse, they went back. Both of them agreed that it was a complete waste of their time, but more Hiashi than Zuko. She had something against him. "Mine was accidental; yours was intentional."

"Come off it!" she snapped. "You're taking this worse than I did and you're colder than ice." Zuko didn't answer her right away. He looked back out into the ocean, watching the waves move roughly. He didn't like being inside, especially so late into summer. It got really humid and uncomfortable, so most of the time, he stayed outside, which didn't much ameliorate anything.

"Want to try dry ice?" he said coolly.

"Tee-hee," she laughed sarcastically. "Where the hell is that Fire Nation blood in you? Where's that heartless bastard I know?"

"For your information, _Hiashi_," he snapped, stressing her name, "I don't believe in senselessly killing people unless there's a good reason behind it."

"So, killing the Avatar has a good reason behind it?" she said sardonically.

"I'm not going to kill him," he said lowly. "If he dies, he'll just be reincarnated again. Then my search would have rendered useless."

Hiashi shook her head. "Get over it," she said, walking towards the ship. "I know I did."

'-'

Yeah, that was kind of lame. I was bored writing it. Well I have good news. Only three more worlds until their journey is over. Then there will be some interesting things that happen and a whole bunch of other things. New characters com in, and my original plot (which was stolen by Nickelodeon) will be executed and all that good stuff. I can't wait for the world after the next one. That's going to be fun. Well, until next time, Signing Off!


	36. Good Soul

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: I am not dead people, only on the inside (JK, JK, JK, JK. Don't want people thinking I'm emotionally depressed… o.O)

I recently got a review saying that they don't like the new Hiashi. Well, all I want to say is that she's showing the side of her we all didn't know. There are things, MANY, MANY things we do not know about her and although they will be released soon, we must remain vigilant and wonder. Although she is still kind of on the 'Why would you do that' side, well, some aged likings just fuse (LoL, word play!). But just as a major hint, think of the number four. Well, on with the fic!

Chapter thirty-six: Good Soul

'-'

The forest was made of lush green trees and shrubbery, completely incasing the surrounding area. The smell of nothing but greens and wildlife filled the surrounding area. It would have been a gorgeous sight if they weren't lost.

"Do you even know where we are?" Aang groaned, laying sprawled-eagle on Appa, his head hanging off the edge of the saddle.

Tsuchi turned to him. "Like we really need to know," she replied. "Meeting more people will only cause us trouble."

"But I'm hungry!" Aang sighed. "Is there like some kind of town where we can get food?"

"I don't mind stopping," Sokka intervened, stretching his arms and rubbing his stomach. "Food sounds good."

"We have food," Katara said to him. "Why not eat that?"

"Because that would require getting on Appa and then getting the bag in which the food is in. I want the food in front of me." Katara shook her head and kept walking. The four of them would have agreed that it would have made sense to put up camp, but the forest was so thick, there was nowhere to even sit down.

What little light that was in the forest began to diminish, as the night sky slowly took over. The silence of the forest pressed up against their ear, the sound of their hunger becoming apparent. "I missed you darkness!" Sokka whispered, breaking the silence.

"What was that?" Katara said after Sokka made his comment.

"I said I missed-"

"No," Katara hissed. "Another sound…"

The four of them listened to the silence, but heard nothing in the dark forest. "Liar!" Tsuchi hissed.

"No, I seriously heard-" The four of heard rustling within the trees of the green.

"That!" Sokka shouted in triumph. That's what I heard! I'm not hallucinating as much as—"

"Shut up Sokka!" Katara hissed. The rustling, as if aware that their prey knew they were there, suddenly stopped. They heard nothing except for their own breathing…

And several more people…

"I… think… there's… someone… here…" Sokka whispered to the lot of them.

"No… shit…" Tsuchi whispered back.

"Should we run?" Aang asked quietly.

"I think—" Katara began to answer, but before she could complete her sentence, their predators lurched out from the trees.

The attackers moved swiftly thought the trees, almost like Airbenders themselves. The sky was black along with their attackers making it harder to track than flies. They were heard but not seen, inching close to them.

"What do we do?" Sokka shouted over the noise, holding his boomerang in front of him.

"I don't know!" Aang shouted back. "But whatever we do—"

The group of people attacked. Katara went down first with a strike in the head. "Katara!" Aang shouted to her, but he was struck to the ground next followed by Sokka and Tsuchi. All tried to stand, but no one could move.

The tallest of the attackers circled them. He was completely covered in black, no detail in his face except for pure white eyes visible from under his hood. "Well, well," the man laughed, his voice sounding like the inside of a cave. "What do we have here? A wimpy little white boy," he said, kicking Aang in the side, "a gankly lookn' shrimp," he smirked, ramming his heel into Sokka's head, "and the two finest looking creatures I've seen in a long time," he said gesturing to Katara and Tsuchi. Tsuchi snorted.

"You think this is so funny?" he said with such malevolence the air turned to ice.

Tsuchi snorted again, but managed to keep her face straight. "Maybe…" she said shyly. "I was just curious as to how many women will actually come here if a girl like me seems pretty to you. They must be quite ugly."

"Silence you wijfje!" he snarled. The rest of his group laughed with content.

"Sorry," she said sarcastically. "I just think it's hilarious."

"Well my group is very hungry," he said now with a hypnotic sound in his voice. "I was thinking of keeping you two… but now I think otherwise. Men?" The group of them began to enclose them, their icy feeling coming closer at an alarming rate.

"They're cannibals!" Sokka whispered. "Very creepy cannibals!"

"Okay," Aang said. "You eat animals, but it's not okay to eat us?"

"Yes!" Sokka replied. "I don't wanna become someone's dinner— ACK!" One of the men grabbed Sokka by the ponytail, hoisting him up to eye level.

"He looks appeasing," the man hissed. "It makes my mouth water."

"Uh, I'm not very tasty!" he stuttered. "I taste like a penguin! Haha, they're not very good, see? Very salty! I eat a lot of—"

"Silence!" the man shouted, digging what seemed to be claws into his shoulders, thrusting Sokka's head to one side.

"Oww," Sokka laughed nervously. "That sort of hurt."

"Uh, Sokka," Aang said, also in the same bind as him, "we get it."

"I get the pretty one!" one of them hissed, holding Tsuchi. Another held the unconscious Katara, gently playing with her.

"God, you all are sad!" Tsuchi yelled at her captor.

"Shut up!" he snapped, slapping her. Another one of the men ran his finger down her spine.

"So tempting," he laughed. "I get a piece too, right?"

"Be patient, Nesuro," the first man said, sniffing the top of Aang's head. "The first humans to come in a while. We need to keep them as long as we can." He laughed as another one of them walked right next to him.

"But they're so tempting," he cooed, reaching out a hand towards Aang. "It's a feast brought to us!"

"Yes it is, my brothers," the first said. "We certainly have been blessed. So I say to you, my brothers: EAT!" As if a signal, all went in for a bite of their new meal.

"Oww, ack, ack!" Sokka screamed. "What the hell are you doing! I need that!"

But before anything could get worse, a screech erupted from inside the forest. The tall one pulled away from Aang, dropping him to the ground in a heap. "What was that?" he snarled to the group. All pulled away, looking up at the trees as if expecting something to come out.

"Drop them!" a voice shredded through the air. "You will face the consequences you savages!" The lot of them dropped them and within a blink, disappeared.

An orb of violet light came out from the forest, its light bathing itself on the group. As if washed over by warm water, they could move again. Sokka was the first to get up. "I can move again!" he said triumphantly. "No more being eaten by—" He paused, not sure as to what they were.

The orb sighed. "Those were vampires, or those ones were Vetalas. They would have sucked you dry if I hadn't scared them off."

"Wait, wait, wait," Tsuchi interrupted. "They were going to suck us dry? As in…"

"As in," the fairy said, slightly irked, "they were going to suck you— of all your blood. That's how they eat of course. They need blood in order to survive." She paused for a moment. "How did you get here?"

"With that," Aang said, pointing to Sokka's belt. "It allows us to transport to any world we want."

"Cheaters!" she hissed, moving backwards. "How do I know I can trust you? Humans aren't allowed here!"

"Were only here as a detour," Aang said. "We promise we won't do anything."

The orb was quiet. "Well," she said, "those vampires did almost kill you. And you didn't bargain with them… so I guess you're okay. Come with me, I know a place we can fix you humans up."

"Wait," Sokka added, "how did you know that? How long were you just—floating there?"

No one seemed to hear what he had said. Within a few minutes, they were following the orb deep into the forest, Katara riding on Appa's saddle. A few minutes had past when they arrived at the base of a mountain, a door just visible in a niche. "Come on in," the orb said. "Although unfortunately, the white thing must stay outside." Appa groaned.

"It's okay, boy," Aang said reassuringly. "Just be careful." Aang followed the rest of them into the small hut.

"Souixe!" the orb shouted. "Wake up, we need some medical assistance here!" A girl, who appeared to be in her late teens, appeared on the far side of a doorway holding a candlestick. "Liiri," the girl said groggily, "it's late. Why wake me so early?" She brushed a short strand of raven hair behind her, her eyes still adjusting to the light.

"Souixe, these people need help," the orb by the name of Liiri said. "They were bitten by the Vetala and—"

"Say no more," Souixe said, no longer appearing tired. She whisked over to a cabinet and began pulling different bottles from inside. She took a glass and began to mix the ingredients together. The liquid began to sizzle, turning a grayish-reddish-pink color. While the beaker played kaleidoscope, she went back to the cupboard and withdrew a box. She took out a gauze and dipped it in the concoction. She wrung it out and placed in on top of another gauze. "Who wants to go first?" she asked them.

The few of them exchanged glances. "I think Katara should go first," Aang suggested. "After all, she probably got the worst of it." They brought Katara over to her and she applied the gauze to Katara's neck.

"Take her over to the divan," she said. "Let her rest until she regains consciousness. You," she said, pointing to Sokka, "come here." Sokka looked at the others. He walked over to the girl as she was soaking another gauze. "Sit down in that chair," she ordered, pointing to a stool that was set at a table. He brought the chair over and sat down. With no hesitation, she slapped the gauze on his neck.

"OWW! Son of a – ack!" Sokka cringed. "It frikn' burns! What the heck?"

She shook her head. "Of course it does. It's a mixture of garlic, Holy Water and other herbs. It will stop the process of any vampire like symptoms."

"What?" Aang said. "That doesn't make any sense."

"You just don't understand," the girl shrugged. "If they feed from you, you could turn into one of them."

"But why would we want to?" Tsuchi asked, scratching at her bite.

"It's not a matter of wanting to," Souixe sighed. "See, those vampires are the rejected humans that used their magical teachings for evil. In this world, humans are guests. Only people with a pure heart may stay here and if you're lucky, a fairy or one of the other mystics will teach you their skills. But some people just can't handle that. They soon become plagued with greed and use it for reasons it wasn't meant to be used for. Those people who use their powers for evil are banished by the Queen. Of course, no one likes to be banished, so they've gathered together with others that have been banished and try recruiting other humans that happen to pass them by. It's not your fault, it's theirs." She finished patching up Sokka and grabbed another gauze. "Who wants to go next?"

'-'

The hospitality of Souixe and Liiri was what they needed. Liiri, not glowing anymore, sat up on a shelf, snacking on a cookie Souixe gave her. Souixe was bustling around the kitchen again, making tea and snacks for her new brought guest. She sat the plate of pastries on the table along with five warped looking cups and poured the tea out of an ancient kettle. "So, she said, finally sitting down, "who are you exactly? I haven't seen you around here and you need to go through a series of test in order to come here."

"How to explain this—" Tsuchi was about to say before Aang interrupted.

"We have a knife," Aang smiled. "It brings us everywhere! It's like a huge portal thing!"

"Aang!" Sokka and Tsuchi both said.

"Well, how fascinating," Souixe said. "I came here with my grandmami over a few years ago. Liiri trained me in everything she knew. She is really nice… once you get past the rudeness."

Liiri looked up from behind her cookie and violet hairand glared. "Hello," she frowned, "I am right here! I can hear every word you are saying!"

Souixe laughed. "Aye Liiri." She turned back to her guests. "How long do you suppose you will be here?"

Tsuchi shrugged. "About two, three days tops. We need to stay mobile."

"Well, you can stay here," Souixe said. "Our den is very capacious and comfy. I will bring you blankets." She stood up and went out of sight. Liiri was still munching on her cookie, not even paying attention to the lot of them.

"So," Liiri finally said with a mouth full of food, "yu pe-pol luk ff-funny."

"Well, our whole world dresses sort of like this," Aang replied, hoping he had the right idea as to what she said.

Liiri swallowed hard. "Well, no dur, dee dee dee! If you come from there, they're all gonna have the sort of same style of clothes." She took a nibble at her cookie.

"Well, how do you know?" Sokka said. "For all you may know, we all dress differently!"

"I'm smart like that," she sneered. "Look at you, three people, all wearing different colors and yet the outfits are the same. And looking at that sword thingy, there are only four colors on it, perhaps representing some countries… leads me to assume you all dress alike." She took a swig from a small mug that was right beside her.

"I don't like you," Sokka mumbled, shoving three cookies into his mouth.

"And I don't like you either," Liiri smirked. "You're just mad 'cuz I'm smarter than you!" She stuck her tongue out. "See, us fairies have common sense, unlike you humans."

"Hey, I have common sense!" Sokka snapped.

"Common sense is an intelligence mankind rarely uses," Liiri said simply. "You would have used it to fight those vampires, but obviously you didn't."

"I did too!" he argued.

"How long is this gonna take?" Tsuchi mumbled to Aang as Sokka and Liiri went on arguing.

"Ionno," Aang shrugged. "She seems to be Sokka's equal in my opinion. This actually might be fun to watch." And so they did. Although Sokka made many more statements than Liiri, she still seemed to be winning. The bickering only subsided when Souixe returned with an armful of pillows and blankets.

"Whatever," Liiri shrugged, floating away from the cupboard and over to the den. "I already know I won anyways." She settled herself on top of a shelf right next to a dusty jade bottle of Valerian roots.

Sokka was choking on words to say back, but they all seemed to trip on each other as they came out. Aang and Tsuchi laughed at him as they graciously accepted the blankets from Souixe.

"If it gets hot, just open up that window," she said to them before blowing out her candle and retreating back to her own room. Aang sighed loudly and plopped himself down on the pillow.

"How great is this?" he said in a low whisper. "I can't remember the last time we got a real bed and blankets to sleep with."

"Probably about four days ago," Tsuchi answered. "Or if we're going by technicalities, about two months. It gets all confusing. Heck, I don't even know how I do it. It's all weird like."

"Tsuchi," Aang said again, "how long has it been? You know, since we've left?"

Tsuchi was silent. "Well," she said, "let's see… We left sometime before spring… and in reality, we've only been gone for… two weeks… that means… uh…" She became quiet again, trying to figure out the complex quandary. "Probably about four months," she finally answered him. "But don't worry," she reassured, "you still have two months before the ends of summer. It gives you plenty of time."

"That's not why I'm worries," Aang sighed. "I'm more worries because I was back for such a short time and then all of a sudden I disappeared again. I don't think it's fair to everyone else that I just up and leave again. I give people hope and it's not right for me to just keep losing their trust. I shouldn't be doing this."

"Aang," Tsuchi said with remorse, "I haven't told you, but this route I'm planning will lead us right to the heart of the Fire Nation Capital. You've been using your spare time to master the elements and you can do it without worrying about people hunting you. Your only fear is Zuko and my sister, but that's about it, and they usually only come on the last day."

"But doesn't that just cut down my time even more?" he asked.

"Only slightly," she said. "Just calm down. You'll be fine. After help from Arekin and Katara, and with your firebending and earthbending lessons from me, you've got it down quicker. Just breathe and get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow."

"Hello," Sokka mumbled, "people trying to sleep here. I enjoy peace and quiet when I'm doing so."

The two of them giggled. They took Sokka's advice of being quiet and finally retired.

'-'

Yeah, not very interesting, but yeah. I have writer's block and don't know what to put here. I have everything else after this world, but I can't think of anything right now. So if anyone is reading this and has ideas, I deeply appreciate it. Thank you and good day!


	37. Animals

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter thirty-seven: Animals

'-'

Early the next morning, Souixe was up and bustling around the kitchen again, this time not creating an antidote but making breakfast for the lot of them. This time, she was accompanied by an elderly looking woman. "Souixe, pass me that spoon over there." Souixe grabbed a wooden spoon and handed it to the old woman. Souixe set a plate of toast and marmalade on the table and went to retrieve another plate with fruit and yogurt.

"Oh my—" Sokka stuttered with his mouth drooling, "It's a feast!"

Souixe smiled sheepishly as she placed a plate of eggs on the table. "Well, we can't have our guest stay with an empty stomach," the old woman said cheerfully. "By the way, my name is Rechele, I am Souixe's grandmother. Please help yourself to anything we have. If you want anything else, just ask. We don't mind!"

Liiri was already helping herself to some marmalade and toast, but only a corner. Katara was still on the couch. She hadn't woken up since last night's brawl, but Souixe reassured them. "She won't be long," she said, eating the rest of Liiri's toast. "When she wakes up, I'll give her something to settle her head."

"But isn't it dangerous for her to sleep after getting hit in the head?" Aang ask, worried. "Won't she get a concussion or something like that?"

"Don't worry," Souixe assured, "I know a recipe that will nullify those side effects. There's no need to worry." She took a sip of her tea and looked back at Liiri, who was now in indulging herself in an egg segment and a fruit wedge.

"If you keep eating like that, you're going to get fat," Sokka sneered.

Liiri glared at him. "You know, I don't have to eat. I just eat because the food is good." She dusted crumbs off her leaf blouse and continued eating. "Haha, now I won't get fat, but you will! All that eating will go straight to your thighs!" She shoved a piece of orange in her mouth and ate with contentment.

"So what to do today?" Souixe asked them, sipping her tea.

"Can we look around?" Aang asked with such enthusiasm. "I like doing that when I see new places."

"I suppose you can," Souixe said. "I'm not quite sure what there is to do, but we might find something."

"Go for a walk," Liiri suggested, "practice a sport, cheer or something, lose weight." She shoved a piece of sausage in her mouth.

"I have an idea," Souixe said cheerfully, "we can go to the forest, talk to the animals or something! They usually have cool things to do!"

"We can talk to the animals?" Aang shouted with glee.

"You can talk to anything in this world," Rechele said nonchalantly. It's all one language to everyone, no matter what it is. Biscuit anyone?"

Sokka grabbed one and shoved it down his throat. He swallowed hard and said, "This food is terrific! Why can't we get this stuff back at our world?" He began to shovel more in his mouth.

"Sokka," Tsuchi sighed, "I'd say you eat like a pig, but see, pigs chew their food. So I say you eat more like a duck." She cleaned the rest of her plate and slid it aside. Aang, the most excited of all of them, swept the plates off the table and into the sink.

"Come on!" He shouted, running to the door. "I want to go talk to some locals!"

'-'

Zuko walked the deck, kicking at the ground and scuffing his boots as well as the ground. He threatened a lot, but even he knew he could never kill someone. Hiashi did it heartlessly, as if it wasn't the first time. The day after, she was up and moving, acting casual about the whole situation. He lead himself to the back of the ship where Hiashi sat on the ledge, one leg swung over, staring at the reflection the sun made in the ocean. "What's your problem?" he asked with sarcasm to his voice. "It's obviously not about killing that girl. You were heartless about it."

She didn't answer, but she emitted a low pitched growl. "That's not it," she mumbled. She became silent again, still focusing on the reflection of the sun.

Zuko was close to leaving, but he spotted her toying with a red and green ring, something he hadn't seen before. "It's the anniversary, isn't it?" he asked. "Of your mother's death?"

Hiashi didn't say anything. Instead, she moved from her spot on the ledge into the ship. Zuko didn't bother to follow her, but instead took her spot on the side. The land seemed closer than he expected and barren.

_Why does it seem like the land is getting closer? _he thought, squinting and trying to adjust his vision to the approaching terrain. "Hey," he addressed to an oncoming soldier, "why is our ship heading inland?"

"I'm not sure, Prince Zuko," the man answered. "Your uncle requested the change in course. He said something about needing supplies." The soldier left.

Zuko thought for a moment. He knew for a fact they had ample supplies. In fact, they would probably not need anything for another month or so, so what was the excuse? _It better not be for another damn Lotus tile!_ He rushed up to the overlook where he found his uncle, playing another Pai Sho game with the crew men. It was déjà vu all over again.

"Please tell me you haven't lost another chip to your stupid game," he groaned.

"Oh, not now," Iroh smiled, making another move on the board, "Although I do enjoy the cook's food, but I feel for something else. I have grown weary of fish or the other usual food, so I have decided to go off the ship for tonight's dinner!" He made another move. "It seems you need to practice some more," he said to his challengers, gathering up his winnings. "I am sure you will enjoy it. We can look around at the stores; perhaps buy some things for the ship. Think of it as a mini vacation from hunting the Avatar."

"We've done enough resting," he snapped, "Instead of eating out, we should be preparing our attack!"

"Relax, Prince Zuko," Iroh said, waiving his hand. "You certainly need it." They set up another game, and continued playing, ignoring Zuko.

"Damn it!" He snarled under his breath, leaving the room.

It wasn't long before the ship docked on the island. The crew left the ship to look around. "Come, Zuko," Iroh said, "we'll buy you something nice."

"I don't need anything," Zuko mumbled. "What I need is the Avatar!"

"Come off it!" Iroh sighed. "Let us look around; I am sure you will find something you enjoy." Iroh walked over to a shop and started to browse their ornaments. Zuko grudgingly followed his uncle, mumbling under his breath.

Hiashi poked her head out slightly. She scanned the surroundings, looking for anything that might keep her inside. She was just about to allow herself to go out when she noticed something. She snuck over to a bulletin board with different announcements and posters. She perused over the different wanted posters, only seeing a man with a scar under his eye and a person with a blue dragon looking mask on. Then she saw it. Right under was an out of dated wanted poster; with her on it. Although she knew it was her, she didn't realize how much time had passed. It was her, but it was her with black hair instead of red.

"I can't believe how much time's passed," she muttered to herself, lowering her china hat. "I haven't been here for years." She tucked the black part of her hair under her hat and slunk off in the opposite direction.

"Well, you seem like a pair of well traveled people," a merchant said to Iroh and Zuko as they approached his stand. "I'm sure you've seen a lot of exotic animals in your part."

"Only a few," Iroh answered, walking up to the stand. "They've all mainly been aquatic animals."

"Well, I'm sure that gets boring," the man sighed, rolling his eyes. "Wouldn't you like to see a different animal other than Gannetwhales and Reef Gliders?"

"I think Reef Gliders are magnificent creatures," he said a bit sadly. "And you've never seen the ocean until you've seen a raft of Ocean Phantoms."

"Eh, I've seen fancier," the guy scoffed. "But wouldn't you like to… uh… add… to your oceanic experience? You know, adding a little more pizzazz to everyday nautical life. Sure the salty air and the animals are great and all, but what about a little taste of land? Come on, you never see hogmonkeys strutting across a mass body of water do you?"

"One rat is enough animals on my ship!" Zuko snapped. "We're leaving now!"

"Hold on, nephew," Iroh said to him. "Continue, my good man."

"See, not only do I sell different items, all of those are good and all, but you can get those any time. They're ample at my store. But the greatest items I sell are exotic pets. You can't get them anywhere for another hundreds or thousands of kilometers. I sell them to you, good price. What do you say?"

"Well," Iroh pondered, "might I see what you have?"

"Sure!" the guy nearly shouted. "Right this way!" The hawker led Iroh to the back of the store. Zuko followed his uncle, hitting his palm against his forehead.

"Look over here," the vendor said to Iroh, pointing to a cage that contained a spider the size of a tea kettle. "You can't find Silver Spiders on the market. They make very long webs, almost fifteen kilometers. They eat any kinds of meat!"

Iroh looked at it with disgust. "No thank you. What else is there?"

"There are also Spinks," he said, pointing to another cage with bird-like moles. "Then we have Owlcats, Dragon Flies, and these Babookaris." The broker's face suddenly lit up. "I think I have just the thing for you, my dear sir. Come, come, it's in the back room." He walked over to the far side of the store where a door resided. He went in the room, and across from them was a box that seemed to be alive. "The momma just had babies a few weeks ago, so they're the right age to leave." The three of them looked in the box to see black balls of fur moving about.

"What are those?" Zuko questioned, not making out any sort of animal. The black blotches of fur looked three times smaller than Hyroki and just as confused.

"These, my friend, are pygmy Pumas. No one sells them at all! They're all the fun and excitement of a puma, but only the size of a regular cat! And see, get them now while they're still young and they'll adapt to you. They're the, how do you put it, the masculine form of a house cat. The wife wants a cat, the husband wants something he could roughhouse with, a pygmy Puma is what you need."

"My, my, these are so adorable!" Iroh said cheerfully, picking one of the kittens up. The only noticeable feature on the puma apart from the black fur was its green eyes that shot itself out from the darkness of the coat. It started gnawing on Iroh's fingers. "It seems to be friendly too!"

"Uncle, I'm not allowing that thing on my ship!" Zuko snapped. "We have enough 'pets' already and we don't need another one! Besides, the last thing we need is an untamed beast running around."

"Come on, maybe it's the exact touch we need to our ship," Iroh smiled. He turned to the guy and asked, "How much is it for one?"

"For you?" the guy asked. "Well, since I like you two, twenty gold. If you think about it, that's a pretty good price for something you can't get anywhere else."

"I wonder why," Zuko mumbled as Iroh still played with the kitten.

"So is this a boy or a girl?" Iroh asked the vendor, the cat still chewing on his hand.

"A girl," the man shrugged. "Why, did you want a boy? I think there's one right there." He went digging through the boxes of cats looking for a boy.

"No, this one's fine," Iroh assured. "Where do I pay?"

"Just over here," the broker said, leading Iroh now to a different part of the store. Zuko was glowering in the corner, still absorbing the fact that his uncle was actually buying a possible illegal animal. Every time they went to a swap meet near the ocean, there were always problems. There was always that one store that caused problems and he believed this store would be one of them. Any place that sold animals, in which was said you couldn't get anywhere else, wasn't a place they should be at, especially in their current situation. Apparently it wasn't up to him whether animals should be on board or not. First it was Hiashi's fire rat, now it was his uncle's pygmy puma. The rhinos were enough animals for his vessel, but apparently no one knew that.

"Come nephew," Iroh said, coming back with the puma in one arm and a bag full of things in another. "We should get this stuff back on the ship. My new friend seems to be getting fussy."

"Why did you buy that?" Zuko asked in fury. "It could attack someone! And what if it jumps of the ship? The last thing I need to hear is that it drowned because it saw a bird and tried to eat it."

"Nonsense," Iroh smiled as they left the store and went back to the ship. "It will stay downstairs for the first while. And I doubt it will try and jump ship. We'll be moving the entire time. I'm sure it will be smart enough to stay put."

Zuko growled, but didn't say anything more. He wasn't going to win this fight, but he was certainly wishing he could. The way he thought it, everything on his ship had a purpose. Anything that was just there was a waste of time. All the people and animals that were there for more than a year served some use to them. His crew was there to help find the Avatar and help maintain things, the Komodo Rhinos were there for transportation, Iroh was there for training, and reluctant to admit it, there to keep Zuko level headed. Hiashi somehow served her purpose in finding the Avatar, but the rest, that to him was a waste of space. Hiashi's rat didn't do anything but eat and sleep. He lounged around lackadaisically and when he was awake, Zuko found him lounging some more. On his pillow. The last thing he needed after a long day's work was to see an overgrown languid rodent sprawled on his pillow. And with their new company, how would that turn out? Cats needed to keep their nails fined down, which meant it was going to be scratching whatever it could sink its claws into. Cats were also as lazy as Hyroki, meaning it was going to be sleeping half the time too. Along with laziness and scratching, cats were antisocial creatures that expect everyone to work for them. If only he could get rid of it now before it caused any problems for him.

"I know," Iroh sprung, setting down the back of pet supplies down on the ship, "why don't we get something for you? Perhaps a nice sword or book will help. Something for your room?"

"I don't need anything," Zuko snapped. "What I need, you can't buy in some swap meet market. I'll be in my room. Don't bother me." He walked off down into the ship. Iroh sighed and put the cat down.

"What he really needs is to learn to be happy. But first," Iroh stated, reaching into the bag of items he bought for his new friend. He pulled out a wine colored lace collar with a small bell and fitted it around the kitten. "I'll call you Li Rong, after my favorite flower!" He patted the Puma on the head and carried it to the inside. He set it down on the floor and said to it, "You stay here. I am sure that bell will alert Zuko of your whereabouts. He wouldn't want you anywhere near him or causing any trouble, so he'll keep an eye on you." He turned around and closed the door behind him.

The pygmy Puma, now named Li Rong, began to groom herself. Feeling bored, she looked around and decided to wander around this new metallic house of hers. She wandered over and around the many corridors when she stumbled upon an open door. She peered inside to see a teenager sitting on his bed, reading a leather-bound book entitled "A Dream of Red Mansions." The wild cat stalked in and took a seat on the bamboo rug. She began to dig her claws in the wooden rug, filing down her nails. Zuko looked up from his book to see the feline in his room.

"For god's sakes," he mumbled, "why the hell did he leave you here?" The puma stared back at him with her beady eyes. "Get out of here!" he snarled at the wild cat, but she didn't move. Instead, she continued to file her nails in his rug, almost like she knew what she was doing.

"Knock it off and get out of here!" he snapped, the candles in his room growing slightly bigger. The wild cat stayed vigilant on the rug, slowly popping her nails out of the clenches of the wooden fibers. Zuko finally grabbed a pillow off his bed and chucked it at the haughty feline. The cat jumped from its post to the other side of the room, but still took place at the foot of his alter. She jumped onto the small footstool where she decided to take a small nap.

"Damn cat, damn rat, what the hell is wrong with you animals!" he growled, slamming his book closed, walking over to the puma, grabbing it by the collar and nearly throwing it outside. "Things like you should be locked up in cages where they belong!" He slammed the door behind the cat, the sound of metal on metal reverberating through the hall. Li Rong hissed at the door, but turned and found someone else to annoy. Hyroki was meandering down the hall.

'-'

Yeah, I know this was a short chapter, and slightly pointless, but I like the fact there's an animal out there just trying to spite Zuko intentionally. NEHO, sorry this took so long. Chapters will get longer in the future. I have things planned for the later on. We meet several new people, learn some secrets of a certain cult-thingy, and one of our favorite groups (no, I don't mean Zuko) gets in a little bit of a pickle. I hope you people will enjoy those chapters.

And guess what? Thanks to my wonderful sister, I got to go to Comic Con, and now I have AVATAR SECRETS! YAY! Haha, I know things about The Secrets of The Fire Nation and future episodes! You want to know them? I'll tell you all. But only if you want. Until next time, Signing Off!


	38. Banished

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter thirty-eight: Banished

'-'

"It should be just a little further," Souixe said, walking through the hordes of branches and vines. "It's kind of hard to see in this mess."

Sokka was wildly cutting away at the greens with his boomerang. "Gah, are we almost there? We could be doing other important things. Such as plotting what we're going to do when we reach the Fire Nation. Like we're really gonna know when we get there." He sliced another branch in half.

"Do you seriously think you should be cutting other people's plants?" Tsuchi said, ducking under a limb. "I think that's kind of rude."

"Me n' plants don't get along," he mumbled, cutting away at more branches.

"Hey guys, look!" Aang shouted, pointing at something across the way. In a meadow sat a mink, grooming itself and oblivious to the group watching it.

"That's Weosa," Souixe said. "He's pretty cool. But he doesn't like people sneaking up on him unexpectedly, so we have to be—"

"Hey Weosa!" Aang shouted, who suddenly appeared more than twenty feet in front of them. The mink by the name of Weosa shot his head up and stared closely at Aang. He was just about to run off when Souixe mixed herself into the mess.

"Who are you?" the mink named Weosa snarled. "Tell me now before I—"

"Weosa!" Souixe shouted, tripping and stumbling through the greenery as she shoved her way towards Aang. Weosa was ready now to pounce on him, but Aang seem unfazed.

"I just want to play," Aang said calmly. "No need to attack."

"Give me one good reason not to!" the mink growled, arching his back for a better spring.

"Weosa," Souixe said, now covered in leaves and grass. "He doesn't want to hurt you; he just wants to talk to you. No harm done, right?"

"Aye, Souixe," the mink said calmly, standing on his hind legs, "you know you con't sneak up on my like thot. The world may be good n' all, but there are those other people. Besides, I've never seen these folks. Who are your new friends?"

"Oh, this is…" Souixe paused. She only until then realized she hadn't gotten their names. Aang realized this and quickly intervened.

"I'm Aang and those people over there," he said, pointing into the bushes over to Sokka and Tsuchi, "that's Tsuchi, and that one's Sokka. We're good people, honest. We do our honest share, we do honest work. We're altogether honest honest…ers. Yeah, that's right!" He smiled sheepishly, Sokka and Tsuchi smacking their heads in the background.

Weosa looked at him with confusion, but shook his head. "Very well, he sighed. "Souixe, if I may ask, why did you bring your guest to me?"

"Well," Souixe said quietly, "you always have fun things to do and they were looking for something fun to do, so I brought them out here. I hope you don't mind."

"Aya, Souixe dear, you know I con't do thot. It's against the rules in the first place for outsiders to come in withowt bein' tested." He shook his head he said, "But thot's why you always come to me right?" He laughed a laugh similar to a hyena's and began to jump in place. "There's a large street market today down over in Iwaksma. Perhaps we culd go there. I hur it's supposed to be a real hoot. What d'you young'uns say?"

"Sounds great!" Aang said with glee. "We can take Appa there!"

"Aah-pa?" the mink said, cocking his head to one side. "I fear I have never heard of this Aah-pa. Might I see it?"

"Sure," Aang smiled, "but he doesn't talks. He hasn't said a word this whole time. But I can still understand him!"

"That is truly foscinating!" Weosa said. "Is this Aah-pa of which you speak some kind of plant? It must be in some kind of carrying object. Then how'w'd'you carry it around?" The four of them looked at each other and shrugged. "Well, come on then!" the mink said. "Let us go to the street market!"

'-'

They returned to Souixe's mountain hut where Katara had finally woken up. Rechele was there to assist her awakening headaches, but other than throbbing pain in her frontal lobe, she was fine. They quickly explained everything to her, bringing her up to date since last night. Despite constant protest from Sokka, who wanted to get a jump start on their plans, the lot of them hopped on Appa and flew over to the street market, by the guidance of Weosa.

"Just down there!" the mink shouted, pointing to a lively crowd of people down below. The street market seemed almost a kilometer both ways. Appa descended down to a patch of clear grass. Once they hit ground, they hopped off. It seemed like no one noticed them when they did, almost like they were invisible.

"It's quite common for some animals to fly," Souixe said to them. "No need to worry." Souixe, Weosa, Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Tsuchi, accompanied by Momo, walked into the crowd of animals and what little population of people.

The markets were full of things to buy: shoes, clothes, trinkets, furniture, and food, almost anything you could imagine. There was no part of the square left uncovered by either a vendor or a group of people gathering. It was such a tight squeeze that they actually had to hold onto each other, just so they wouldn't get lost. Hawkers advertised their stand, trying to bring in more customers than they needed. Animals and humans browsed at the curios hanging and displaying. Customers shared their purchases with one another, while others sat at tables fitted in and chatted. Aang looked around, wishing desperately he could buy something, but he knew they had no money and that they couldn't buy anything other than food. But even that was becoming sparse and their only source of sanctuary was the kindness of strangers they had received from the various people they met.

It seemed Souixe was able to read his mind, for she suddenly spoke up and said, "I can safely assume you don't have any money you can actually use at these stores, and I have some money, just about six hundred pounds. It's not quite a lot, but why don't I buy each of you something?"

"We don't want to be a hassle—" Katara started to say, but Sokka had other ideas.

"But that seems very nice of you," he said, "but only if you want to."

"It's my pleasure!" Souixe smiled. "I love buying things for people."

"Thanks, Souixe," Aang said, his mood suddenly changed. Although he felt bad allowing her to buy them anything they want, it was still rude if she decided and didn't tell them and for them to turn it down when it was already bought. It was two side of a situation he could never get himself to understand.

Sokka finally dragged the lot of them to a stand where a skunk was molding different pots, jugs, bottles and other assortments of porcelain and clay nick-a-brick. "I have never seen a rodent pot-molding before," he whispered to Aang. "It's crazy."

"They may think the same thing about us," Aang whispered back. Tsuchi and Katara looked at the items the old skunk had made prior.

"These are beautiful," Katara said, looking over a jade snuff bottle. "These must have taken a long time to make."

Tsuchi picked up two large red marbles with green dragonflies, swishing them up and around her hand. "I concur," she said. "Even though these are for massaging, they'd still be awesome in battle. You know, swishing them around, possibly knocking people out. Haha, that'd be awesome." Souixe put the money down for Tsuchi's health marbles and Katara's snuff bottle which only cost about 85 pounds apparently. They still couldn't help but feel like it was too much.

The day passed with no actual enthusiasm. Sokka purchased what was said by the nightjar to be a real energy stimulant drink ("Hey," the bird said, "it comes with a really nice bottle!"). Aang on the other hand, still hadn't decided what he wanted. If there was an endless supply of money, he would buy anything he wanted, which could have been the whole market, but Souixe was doing them a favor and as much as he was grateful, he still felt guilty. He didn't want to buy anything too expensive but she wouldn't allow it. It was fortunate for him that that was the least of his worries.

Weosa, who hadn't spoken since they landed, said to them, "This place is fun and all, but why don't we try something different, eh? The queen hasn't left her post over there, leaving her castle back unguarded. Why don't we look around her garden? It's might nice."

"Don't you think that's a little dangerous?" Aang asked. "I mean, that's breaking in, isn't it?"

"Not really," Souixe said sheepishly. "We've actually done it several times. Not one of my finest moments." She rubbed the back of her neck and laughed nervously. "So what do you say?"

"If you don't mind me saying," Katara interrupted, "I agree with Aang. We shouldn't be—"

"Nonsense, my dear lady friend!" Weosa said, prancing his way over to the direction of the castle. "We're surely not to get cought amongst this crowd. Just follow my lead and you will be fine." They followed the mink over to a rough iron fence that towered over them. Weosa squeezed himself through the underside of the fence. The top of the garden was also covered with a net, making sure it covered from intruders from top to bottom. With some fiddling of the lock, the mink finally was able to pry the gate open to allow the rest of them in. They slipped in surreptitiously, careful as not to alert any authority figures. Once all five of them were inside was when they could truly look at the magnificent garden in front of them.

The sight of magnificent color spectrum stretch farther than the eye could see. The shrubs and bushes scattered themselves about the stretch, flowers they recognized and new one they'd never seen before. The trees reached higher than they could imagine, taller than anything that ever lived. The grass seemed to be whispering to them as they walked along, laughing, gossiping, regaling. It all looked like a well plotted puzzle just waiting to be put together. The smell of roses, larkspurs, ranunculus, chrysanthemums, lilies, freesias, orchids, snapdragons, hyacinths, gladioluses, sweet peas, asters, carnations, delphiniums, amaryllises and so many other it was impossible to name, filled the air with its sweet aroma. It was so fragile looking that if one was to touch a single blaze of grass, it would crumble.

Aang sighed at its marvel. "I really think we should go."

"Why?" Souixe asked sadly. "It's so beautiful in here. Let's at least spend some more time in here. I don't want to leave just yet."

Weosa was up in one of the trees, looking down at them with pride. "It's the greatest place to be. Many would die just to get in here. It's a shame she never lets them in. See, it's reasons like this why she has so much security to try and keep people owt. If she let them all in, it wouldn't have its mysterious touch anymore."

"So why are we in here?" Sokka asked him bluntly.

"Because we know how to get in," Weosa said just as candid. "Although you are right," he said to Aang. "This garden is not to be in too long. We stay for no more than two minutes, then we leave." The mink scurried up the tree and out of sight. The team shrugged.

"I say we stay close to the entrance to make it easier to leave," Souixe said. "Come on, there's too much to look at in such little time."

The lot of them were careful to stay on the stone tablets that created a pathway for them to travel. If any sign of them being there was left, there was no thinking of what could, or might, have happened.

Their two minutes didn't seem that long when Weosa came to alert them it was time to go. "At least you came," he said to them as they were exiting. "It's best to say I went than I wish."

"So you admit going in?" a voice from behind them said. They paused in their tracks, careful not to say anything.

"Did you hear something?" Katara asked them quietly.

"Do not try and fool me," the voice of a woman said. "I have been watching you the whole time. I need not evidence of you intrusion for I have your confession already said. May I ask you why you have invaded my home and defaced my garden?"

They slowly turned around to face the woman in back of them.

Her long raven hair matched the length of her black skirt. She had a crown of leaves in her hair with black gloves and a long black scepter in the other. With the welcoming look of the garden behind her, she looked out of place.

"I asked you once and I will not ask you again, so answer my question." Her guards started coming up from behind her, all of them vicious looking white wolves.

"We didn't mean to, honestly, ma'am," Souixe squeaked, quickly dropping to her knees. "We are truly sorry and we swear we shall never do it again. Please don't harm us!" She didn't lift her head up to look at the queen, but the others gladly followed her lead just as an excuse not to look at her.

The queen sighed with boredom. "Stand, you are not to kneel before a queen when she is questioning you." The five of them quickly jumped up from their stance. "Come with me," she said, "and do not try and run. My guards are fast and agile. They will catch you in seconds." One of the wolves snarled at them.

"You heard her," he said in a low growl, "move along." The group followed the queen into her castle and away from the market which now seemed farther away than it did from the sky.

"So," the queen finally said as they entered a dark, dim room, "you four have obviously not taken the test to come here. I do not appreciate you coming without earning the trust of others. Tell me, would it be right if I came into your house so unexpectedly and assume you will trust me?"

The four of them shook their heads.

"I did not think so," she said quietly. "And you," she now addressed Souixe sharply, who jumped in her chair, "I would have thought better of one who did past the test to come in here. You came in on trust, kindness and a pure heart, yet you seem to have lost that trust when you allowed them to come in. You should be ashamed." Souixe hung her head, her hair turning into a veil to hide her from the stare of the queen.

"Okay," Sokka finally spoke up sharply. All heads turned to him, for his outburst was uncalled for. "I keep hearing how these people got in on some kind of test, some kind of test. Well, why don't we take this test and get it over with so that this whole problem is fixed?"

"I am afraid that it is not that simple!" The queen snapped. "I cannot simply give you the test right now, it would be pointless. The test is unexpected, it is unknown. Those who are being tested do not even know it. It could be as simple as a little girl coming and asking for directions, or a homeless man asking for food. Only one who will give the little girl directions and carry her goods or the one who will give that homeless man food and a coat for the night will truly deserve to be here, but unfortunately, people become people. There are those who cannot handle the magic that is here, the fact they may use it whenever they want. That is why so many turn evil and I have to banish them. It is not very easy to do so, it makes everything complicated. It saddens me when I see one of my fellow humans turn evil. I understand humans are imperfect, but the sheer ridiculousness of the whole situation is remarkable." The queen sighed. "And since this land is about honestly and trust, you must understand why I am going to banish you from here. And you, Souixe," she sighed and shook her head. "You were simply misled in the wrong direction, but it still does not excuse your behavior. You are banned from the outside for the next four weeks. You may not step outside. I will know, for I will have my owls watch you." She turned to the wolves that had situated themselves at either side of her. "Guards, please escort them out. Make sure these four leave and that Souixe is led home. I don't want anything going awry." The queen stood up and left the room.

"Come on," one of the wolves said, "hurry it on up here."

It seemed like a long way home, even if they were on Appa. It was permitted only because the wolves didn't feel like walking twenty kilometers to and from. They touch landed and said goodbye to the wolves, who now had a long ways back. Souixe sighed.

"I'm sorry, guys," she nearly cried, "this is my fault. I didn't mean to get you in trouble with her; I don't know what I was thinking! I apologize so much. I don't know how to make it up to you. I mean, Katara got her snuff bottle, Tsuchi got her marble things, and Sokka got his drink-a-majig, but I wasn't able to give Aang anything! I feel so horrible! I think I'm gonna be sick!"

"That's fine," Aang reassured. "That garden was really peaceful, and it was beautiful! I don't think you could've bought me anything better. Just think of it as my gift."

"But that's what got us into trouble!" she sniffed. "And you didn't even get to see all of it! I just feel so bad Aang. I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, just calm down," Katara reassured, patting her on the shoulder. You better get inside, we don't want to get you into anymore trouble."

Souixe, still trembling, nodded, and allowed herself to be steered inside. Aang, Sokka and Tsuchi were still outside, Momo now napping on a tired Appa.

"So what do we do now?" Sokka asked. "We were banned, but you said we still have one more day here. We can't exactly leave or that'll screw things up. What do we do?"

"Well," Tsuchi sighed, "I feel really bad doing this, but I suppose we can just stay inside Souixe's house until tomorrow. We can leave tomorrow as soon as we can. But we'll have to leave before Zuko and my sister get here."

"We can train while we wait it out," Aang sighed. "I haven't quite trained in a while, and I'm sure we can find simple things to do inside."

"I guess that's our only choice," Sokka sighed. "Let's get inside before we get into anymore trouble." The three of them walked inside, carefully so that they didn't make any noise. It was going to be a long twenty four hours of possibly nothing but training and waiting.


	39. Broken Threshold

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter thirty-nine: Broken Threshold

'-'

"How could you do that!" Rechele shouted, pacing back and forth in the den. It was the next day and they finally had the courage to tell Rechele after she asked Souixe to pick some apples from the garden. "It was utterly stupid! What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't and I'm sorry!" Souixe mumbled. "I won't do it again, I swear. That's the last time I do anything impulsive."

"Well, there's not much we can do about it now," Rechele signed, shaking her head. "What's done is done. But don't think you'll be off the hook just yet. Since you're under house arrest for the next four weeks, you'll be cleaning this house from top to bottom. I want a clean house by the end of your term. Right now, I just- Gah!" She walked away, flailing her and half shouting, half mumbling something they couldn't interpret. Aang, Katara, and Tsuchi were sitting at the table, practicing earth, water and fire. They had been training all of yesterday and all of today, practicing extreme basics and anything else they could within the walls of the hut. With the extreme training, Aang was picking up on things faster than if he were to practice larger tasks. By that time, he was creating strands of fire, bending meteors and engulfing himself in water, without creating a mess.

"See, Sokka? I've got it down," Aang smirked, "no need to worry. How are you going with that plan of yours?"

"Eh," he mumbled, not looking up from his paper.

"Do you really have to write it out?" Tsuchi asked.

"It helps me think," he said, jotting down some more notes. "Get all my thoughts in the open." The three of them snorted. "What? It does!"

"Of course it does, Sokka," Katara said. "What are we waiting for?" she asked Aang. "Let's try it again."

'-'

The unbearable ocean heat and humidity filled the ship from top to bottom, engulfing them in a pool of sweat and salty sea air. The stuffiness of the ship made it hard to breath and hard to stay awake for some. It was too hot to wear the thick Fire Nation armor, the suits almost like an oven. Unfortunately, it was all they had, so more than half the crew was outside. The occasional cool ocean breeze was what they were asking for. No one was working, not even Zuko was complaining, even though he wanted to. He kept arguing with his mind whether or not something should be done right now, but for some reason he didn't want to. He felt better sulking in the background, debating.

"Has anyone seen Li Rong?" Iroh asked aloud. He was waving his paper fan slow, but at a steady pace so as not to tire himself.

"You're going to make yourself hotter if you keep waving that fan," Zuko told him, lowering his china hat.

"Zuko, can you help me find her? Cats hid themselves when they they're close to death and it's so hot out, I fear the worst."

"You can look around yourself," he said. "I don't want to look for your damn cat."

"She could be anywhere," Iroh said dramatically. "On the roof, in one of the rooms, your chamber."

Zuko got up. "Like hell she is." He walked into the ship to reluctantly look for the little puma.

To his fortunate luck, the cat wasn't in his room. He walked around some more, not bothering to look at detail as to where Li Rong might be. He made his way down to the storage compartment, where the stuffiness was worse.

_There's nothing down here,_ he thought. _There, I looked, now he can't say I—_

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud crashing noise along with a high pitched squealing. "What the hell was—" There was another high pitch squeak and another crashing noise. He set his arms in front of him in a defense stance and carefully walked over the cacophony. He made a sharp turn when a wad of black fur stalked in front of him. Startled, he shot at the puma, but he missed after it jumped out of harms way. "Augh, shit!" he snarled. "Damn cat!" The thought of an animal wandering around their supply of food made him sick. He was ready to grab the puma and leave when she dropped something from her mouth. He looked at what she dropped to see a small brown rat nearly broken in half.

"Since when do we have rats?" he muttered, thinking besides Hyroki. He knew it. That island was infested with something that just so happened to get on there ship. Whatever happened, the rats need to be rid of and he wasn't the one to do it. Maybe the puma was useful for something.

"Useless cat," he mumbled, grabbing Li Rong in one arm and holding her dead prize in the other, but at arms length. He made a face of disgust and left the storage room.

He made his way to the top of the ship, the cool and airy breeze a welcoming feeling. "Ah, Zuko, you've found her!" He took the puma from Zuko's grasps and hugged her. "What is that?" he asked with distaste, suddenly talking notice of the dead rat in his other hand.

Zuko threw the rodent off the side of the ship, dusting his hands off on the side. "That was a little 'gift' from your puma. Apparently we have rats aboard the ship."

"Are you serious?" Iroh asked baffled. "We've never had rats before."

"Yes, well until now," he mumbled. "But your cat killed one."

"See?" Iroh smiled, petting the purring puma. "Li Rong will pay her share on the ship. She will get rid of the rats for us."

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled under his breath. He walked towards the opposite side of the ship where half the ship was sprawled out, trying their best to cool off in the midst of the summer's heat. "What are you waiting for?" he shouted to them. "We have business to attend to!"

'-'

The warm weather outside would have been welcoming if there wasn't extreme work going on inside. Souixe was hard at work scrubbing the floor of the kitchen, Katara, Aang, and Tsuchi were hard at work in the den, working on Aang's firebending, waterbending, and earthbending, and Sokka was hard at work thinking of any possible plan of overthrowing the Fire Lord.

It was well past noon and the sun was above the house, but the ground was excreting the heat it held in for the first twelve hours. It was unfortunate they were afraid to even open a window in case the queen's owls thought they were escaping. The heat filled the house like a preheating oven, everyone sweating buckets without meaning to. Summers in a cave house were probably the worst, considering they absorb the most heat. It was well noticed by all of them.

"I wish I could go outside," Souixe sighed as she threw down her brush into the bucket adjacent to her. "I know this really great lake that has crystal clear water. It's nice and cold all year round. I have friends down there too."

"The last friend we met of yours nearly got us arrested," Sokka pointed out. "Then, he ran off and left us to take the fall. I'll tell you, that Weosa isn't a good friend."

"I know," she muttered. "But he's like some sort of drug. You know it's bad, but you can't help but go back. It's complicated." She stretched out her sore joints and resumed work. "At least you guys get to leave. You're not under house arrest. I'm at this for another four weeks." She stopped again and began to rub her knees. "I'll be scrubbing until my knees bleed."

"I'm sure it can't be that bad," Tsuchi said. "Once, I got into so much trouble, I had to repair the roof and the walls of four different houses. Then I had to clean up the debris my mess left, which stretch nearly three block, boy that was—" The others were looking at her with a mixture of curiosity and shock. "Aha, well," she stammered, "yeah, that was an interesting story. Let's just say that the owl cats weren't sleeping for a week. So anyways!" she said sheepishly, bustling around with nothing tangible. "Aang, we need to practice your forms!"

"That's right," he said, standing up. "And I'll try not to break anything this time."

"With her as a teacher, it's probably impossible," Sokka mumbled incoherently. Lucky for him, Tsuchi didn't hear.

No more than a few minutes passed when the silence of the earth was interrupted by the sounds of crashing in the forest. Souixe jumped from her position in fright. "What is that?" she asked nervously.

"I don't know," Katara whispered. "Do you possibly think…?"

"It is," Aang said solemnly, "Zuko."

"Zuko?" Souixe said baffled. "What's a Zuko?"

"He's a crazy prince guy with a ponytail. He's not to be messed with."

"Appa's still outside!" Aang hissed. "We need to get him!"

"But Aang! We can't exactly go outside!" Katara said to him, but it wasn't enough, Aang had already burst through the front door to save his beloved bison.

"So my prize comes to me," Zuko smirked maliciously.

"I only came out here to get my bison," Aang said forcefully. "Nothing more."

"That doesn't matter," Zuko hissed, "you're mine."

"Go ahead and try," Aang taunted, "you won't get away with it."

"Toying now, aren't you?" Zuko nearly snarled, taking four steps forward. "Well no matter!" With as much strength as he had, he sent out a powerful blast of fire towards Aang.

Aang put his arms up and blocked it, moving the ground right underneath Zuko and the rest of them. Hiashi knew what he was doing and rooted herself to the ground. "I'll beat you to a pulp, kid!" she snarled. "You're obviously not alone." Knowing this, she jammed her heel into the ground and sent a stream of earth towards the window of the house.

Souixe screeched at the top of her lungs as a mass of earth crashed through the window and landed violently in the kitchen, spreading dirt and glass shards everywhere. Sokka, Katara and Tsuchi raced outside to aid Aang.

"You're going down!" Sokka shouted, throwing his boomerang hard at the nearest soldier. Hiashi, from behind, grabbed Sokka by the shoulders and powerfully kneed him in the spine. She threw him on the ground and busied herself with someone else.

To Aang's luck, there weren't that many people attacking them this time, whether it was because they assumed they wouldn't need it or the fact that they were getting lazy as to who they brought. It was actually quite sad. Aang didn't loom over it long. Zuko was stronger than he was the last time they had a head on combat. It was as if he was torn between beating him to unconsciousness and being careful so as not to hurt him too badly.

Aang zoned out at the wrong minute, Zuko taking this as an opportunity. With as much as he had, he kicked Aang mid-chest, knocking the wind out of him. "I told you, but you don't seem to want to listen," Zuko hissed. Aang struggled to catch his breath, taking it in sharply, but to no avail. Zuko was so close to grabbing him when something grabbed him first. A white wolf appeared out of nowhere, biting down into Zuko's arm. He let out a scream of pain and tried to throw the large beast off him, but it was useless. Over thirty of these grey wolves surrounded them, all snarling and baring their teeth.

"Fighting is also against the law!" a familiar female's voice shouted from behind. The queen appeared before them, the fighting suddenly seizing. The white wolf still had its death grip on Zuko's arm, but Zuko didn't seem to notice any more. "I told you to leave my land and I expect my orders to be followed! Now I suggest you leave, NOW!"

"With pleasure!" Katara nearly squeaked. She helped Tsuchi hoist Sokka on Appa, but not before he made an attempt to open a portal for them. It wasn't big at first, but almost like it knew, it stretched itself out large enough to fit Appa through. The group swiftly went inside, thinking their problems were solved.

"No!" Hiashi yelled, kicking up a sword and throwing it at the portal. She ran towards it, hoping to enter before it closed, but then the phenomenal happened.

The portal closed around the sword, turning it white with heat. "What the hell did she do?" Zuko muttered ad they watched the strange phenomenon. The sword began to vibrate violently, hard enough to emit a high-pitched scream. The surrounding area soon became invisible as it began to fill with a bright, blinding light. Almost like an explosion, the force of the light sent everyone flying backwards.

The queen and her wolves were the first to wake, making it easier to put Zuko and his soldiers under custody. It wasn't long before they awoke and found themselves in a jail cell.

"What the hell is this?" Zuko snarled, quickly jumping up. "We don't belong in here!"

One of the white wolves went up to the cell and stared at him. "Damn animal," Zuko hissed. "Get out of here!"

"Do you want to know why you're in here?" the wolf asked in a growl like voice. Zuko backed up in sheer shock. "You're here for battery, disturbing the peace, illegal immigration, and abuse of power. There are a heck of a lot more things you're convicted for, but I have better things to do than to chat away with someone who will refer to me as a 'damn animal.' Listen here, you human, you're a guest in my country and so long as you are, I'm the boss around here. I suggest you get your act into shape, before I decide to have a midnight snack sometime. I don't know where you come from and how animals are treated, but in this world, we're the predominant species. We control you. GET USE TO IT!" The wolf trotted off. Zuko watched as the wolf left, completely baffled at his surreal experience with the talking wolf. He shook his head, wondering if he was still unconscious or whether it was real.

"Kind of freaky, ain't it?" Hiashi suddenly spoke up. Zuko turned around sharply to see her shaking her head. "FYI, I was up enough to see the wolf leave. Not the right thing to wake up to."

"What the hell happened back there?" he said lowly. "That explosion, what was that?"

"I don't know," Hiashi said honestly. "It was probably a disruption between the world and the entrance dimension."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that the sword probably caused a snag in the portal, making it impossible to get in again."

"What!" he shouted loud enough to cause the soldiers to stir.

"Think of it this way: you have a ship that has some security device installed into it. Now if it's unarmed and you try to keep it unarmed by trying to disrupt the wires, it might cause it to turn the alarm on permanently. That means that nothing can get in anymore, but doesn't mean nothing can't get out. You can still move to the outside, but you can't get inside anymore."

"You ruined my chances of getting the Avatar? How could you do that?" he snarled at her.

"Relax," she snapped back, finally standing up. "Don't you see? You can lead the Avatar into a false sense of security. They'll think they're safe for that moment, but we catch them at the end. And let me tell you, it will be the end. They have only two more places to go before they hit the Fire Nation: the one they just went to and one more. You can trick them into thinking they're safe, but they're not. Use the element of surprise for once. We've been coming on a tracked basis and a fault in our schedule will throw them off balance. Get it?"

"Fine," he snarled. "But how do you suppose we get out of this?" he said, showing her the prison cell.

She sighed. "If you still have you sword, if you remember, it can cut through anything. Try cutting us a way home."

The crew was slowly starting to wake up, rubbing their heads and stretching out. Zuko hated when he didn't realize something quick enough. It was just when he was in tight situations and didn't think fast enough. He was fixing it, though. He thought faster on his feet and was gaining up on Hiashi's intellect. He was still sure he was smarter than her, despite the teachings of his uncle that they were equals. He would tell Zuko that while he was a history, art of war and fighting sort of person, Hiashi was more of the literature person, including astrology. He still didn't find it fair, which was why he was trying harder and harder just to beat her.

"When did we get here?" was amongst the first questions asked from an awakening solider.

"Don't ask questions," Zuko snapped. "We're getting out, whether they want us to or not." He withdrew the black dagger from a notch in his belt and with one swipe, created a threshold for them. "Hurry up," he said as the soldiers filed in one by one back to their own world, "there's no time to spare. We need to plan our final ambush."

'-'

Yes, there are only two more worlds left, but I'll certainly enjoy writing the last of my chapters. This story's getting too long anyways. Until next time, Signing Off!


	40. Lingua Barreras y Invitación

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: Finally! The chapter that I've been waiting for! I've been editing, adding and mixing up this part of the story so now I shall reach the dream! I'm almost done! I cry. Well, enough talking, now to start the chapters!

Chapter forty: Lingua Barreras y Invitación

'-'

The sun had never shone brighter before. The humidity was thick in the air, making the group feel sticky and uncomfortable. However, aside from the stuffy air was a beautiful outstretch of exotic plants and forest as far as the eye could see. Along with the wonderful stretch of wildlife were some of the most amazing landmarks anyone would ever see. Pyramids that reached as high as the sky, smaller stone buildings scattered around them, along with smaller what seemed like houses made of branches from trees in small groups surrounded the area. A small canyon was near by, surrounded by more trees and vines. A small lake was at the bottom, but was still reachable. There was a cave that was somewhat adjacent and a cavity at the top of a short stone mound. It was a miraculous view and the four of them didn't want it to end.

"This place reminds me of home," Aang sighed. "It looks like the Earth Kingdom. Well, the natural side, anyways."

"It's too hot," Sokka whined, turning his shirt into a turban. "Ugh, it's uncomfortable."

"It is hot, but you have to look at this view," Katara said to him. "It's magnificent."

Tsuchi removed her arm warmer and used them to hoist up her hair. "This is Kuusai Isles weather," she sighed. "Reminds me of the good old days."

"Of what? Trashing peoples homes?" Sokka asked sarcastically.

"Yes, Sokka, of trashing peoples homes," Tsuchi said just as sarcastic. "God, you're such a jerk sometimes."

"Well, that's just my title," Sokka said with cheerful mockery. "Sokka the sarcastic guy."

"I said jerk, not sarcastic guy," she said with scorn. "You should try adding misogynist. It surely matches."

"Ha, as if," he said simpered. "I'm not a misogynist!"

"Do you even know what that means?" she asked.

"Pfft, why not?" he scoffed.

"The first day I met you, I called you a misogynist. Why didn't you say anything then?"

"Because— I don't know! If you're so smart, you figure it out!"

"I'm not a mind reader, dumb ass! God, you're so stupid sometimes! Scratch that, all the times!"

"Excuse me?" he shouted. "I am not stupid! I'm smarter than you!"

"You sure don't act it!" she snapped. You act like such a baby sometimes it's ridiculous!"

"I'm much more mature than you!" he nearly snarled.

"You mother fu—" Her words were cut of by a sudden arrow that shot right past them. "What was that?" she shouted.

"Oh, you are the smart one!" he said sarcastically.

"Get down!" Katara ordered them. The four of them ducked behind the ledge of Appa's saddle, watching the arrows fly over them.

"I think there's only one way out of this," Aang said to them. Without their consent, Aang steered Appa down towards the ground. The firing seized, but a group of people watched the bison and its passengers touched land.

"Don't shoot!" Sokka screeched, throwing himself on the floor face down. "Why must everyone shoot us?"

"We don't mean any harm," Katara said to them. "We're just passing through."

"We promise, we'll leave in four days, tops," Aang added.

"Five," Tsuchi corrected.

"Five days," Aang said.

The people stared at them as if their words went in their heads, but didn't quite process. All of them looked like Water tribe people, all dark skinned. The men wore what looked like long loin cloths, and the women wore calf long, loose fitting white dresses with short sleeves. Some of them had décor, some nice stitching and hems, or some had sashes on. The men shooting at them had flashy hats on, filled with long feathers and colors. Their outfits hat the most color and vibrancy on them. They all looked at them with wonder as to who their new visitors were.

"So yeah…" Aang said slowly. "We'll just be here—"

"_Quiénes son ustedes gente_?" one of the men asked.

"Excuse me?" Katara asked. The four of them had baffled expressions.

"_Quiénes son ustedes gente_?" the man repeated. "_Ustedes están entrando terreno prohibido._"

"Sir, we don't understand what you're saying," Tsuchi said to them.

"_Salgan se aquí_," the man shouted, "_antes de que yo_—" The man was cut off when a lavishly dressed man emerged from the side. Following him was another man who looked to be in his late teens.

"_Santiago_," the large lavish looking man said with a thundering voice, "_sabe tú quiénes son_?"

"_No, señor_," the first one said roughly.

"_Fueron enviados por los dioses_," the large man said in a meaningful whisper, yet was still audible to the whole crowd.

"_Por qué_?" the man asked.

"_No sé. Quizás para un ofrecimiento_," the large man shrugged. "_P__or qué vendrían en un búfalo del vuelo_? _Es obviamente una señal_! _Venido_! _Trataremos a nuestras huéspedes como reyes_!"

"_Pero_—"

"_AHORA_!" the man snapped. The people started to part, gossiping and giggling with each other, possibly about the event that just happened.

"_Estoy apesadumbrado_," the large man said almost as if he were panicking. "_Santiago_ _le significó ningún daño __ustedes todo_. _Él no sabía_. _Honraremos a nuestras huéspedes con el banquete más fino_! _Qué usted dice_?"

Katara, Sokka and Katara looked at Aang, all expecting him to know what to say. It was a tight situation they had never been in. This was the first world in which they couldn't understand their hosts. They could be saying anything. What did these people think they were? Why did the man sound scared? What was he asking?

"Sir," Aang started out, "see—"

"_Sí!_" the man shouted in triumph. "_Sí_, _sí_ _comenzaremos enseguida_!" He hurried off to do something. Sokka turned to Aang.

"What did you tell him?" he asked with the slight hint of anger and confusion

"He didn't even let me finish," Aang defended himself, "I only got two words out and he was jumping up and down. It was kind of creepy."

"Now what do we do?" Sokka shouted, flailing his arms. "We have no idea what these people are saying. For all we know, they want to send us off to battle or something."

"I seriously doubt it," Aang stated. "He was so happy and kind of scared."

"He could be happy that we got here and scared that we might leave," he said, presenting the problem to him. "He might have a shortage of soldiers or something. It's not a big town."

"Well, if they were happy, then that must mean they're going to give us food," Tsuchi stated. "Wouldn't you like that now, Sokka?"

"Give it a rest," he snapped at her. "We wouldn't be in this mess if you had chosen a better place to land."

"Oh, I'm sorry the sword rejected me," she replied snippily. "Next time something does, I'll be sure to remember to tell it Sokka will get mad."

"Well, I apologize the sword liked me," he retorted. "You three all have your magic stuff, and what do I have? I have a boomerang, a club. That's all I get! Then I get the knife, shoot, at least that makes me special."

"Oh please," she scoffed, "that's a sad excuse." She shook her head and walked towards Appa and pocketed her bending marbles. "I'm gonna look around." She walked off in a huff, shaking her head and grumbling.

"Did you guys see that?" Sokka shouted lowly to Aang and Katara. "I swear it, she hate me!"

"To be frank," Katara said sort of indirect, "I wouldn't be surprise, but her attitude towards you was uncalled for."

"I don't want to be here right now," Sokka mumbled. "I want to look around too. Don't worry; if I get attacked I'll just bludgeon them to death." He shook his head and walked away, head down. Katara and Aang exchanged looks.

"Do you think it was smart to take Tsuchi along?" Aang asked. "Since the first words they said to each other they've been at each others throats."

"Aang, you need a teacher," Katara said to him. "Sokka's just really hard to get along with. Sokka has a lot of sarcasm, but Tsuchi has a bad temper. The two were probably just not made to get along, I would assume anyways."

"This whole time traveling, you'd think they'd find some sort of middle ground, but they haven't."

"Well, maybe it wasn't made for them," she sighed. "Maybe it just won't happen. The rest of the time, they'll just be bickering. Let's just hope they'll get along long enough we get into a lot of trouble."

'-'

The night time came down quickly, but the stuffiness didn't go away. The air was cooler, but it didn't matter. Even so, Tsuchi was right about them going to give them food. That very evening, the tribe they had entered had put up a lavishly looking banquet, equipped with a bon fire and a vast majority of exotic foods. What seemed like everyone from the village came and sat at what was a long, square table with tables at a high point, enough for ten people. The might sky was filled with stars, the sky illuminating with its own light. The natives were putting on a performance for them, dancing and singing around the fire, it was hypnotic. Once the performance was over, the crowd applauded the performers. They left the center of the stage and allowed the apparent governor of the village to speak.

"_Esta noche, celebramos venir de los salvadores que nuestros dioses nos han enviado_," the large man said. "_Introduzco a ellos, a mi esposa, Azucena_," a woman appeared by him, dressed in vibrant colors and luxurious looking fabric, "_mi hijo mayor, Agapeto_," the same man in his late teens they had seen earlier appeared, wearing what looked like decorative battle armor chest plate with patterns engraved on it and leggings with wooden beads and decorated material, "_mi hija menor, Cenobia_," a young girl who looked to be ten appeared at his side, wearing a white dress that went up to her knees with black strips of floral patterned material on the skirt and a small bib of the same material with lace trimming along with a red silk belt, "_y mi hija mayor, Esperanza_," appearing on the left was a beautiful young woman who wore an outfit similar to her bother's, but made from silk fabrics rather than metal. It covered enough of her with green fabric and gold trimmings. She nearly took up all the attention of the crowd, giving off radiance like the stars. All of the family had dark skin, dark brown, nearly black hair, and brown eyes, but her skin was lighter, just one or two shades lighter than either Sokka or Katara. Her hair was also calmer too. While others were truly frizzy, hers was long and calm. She looked like she belonged somewhere other than a small village. Sokka truly took notice of her.

"_Comamos en el honor de nuestras huéspedes_," the large man started again, "_porque los dioses nos están mirando. Han enviado un ofrecimiento, para ver donde está nuestra lealtad. Volveremos sus regalos, en los cuales avanzaremos grandemente. Ahora digo a mi familia, mi gente, y mi huésped, comienzamos_!"

The people began to cheer and began to eat. Taking that as a hint, Aang, Katara and Tsuchi took that as a signal to go ahead, but Sokka had other plans.

"Hi," he said to Esperanza, who either had the pleasure or the unfortunate luck to sit next to him. "So, are you like a princess? Very interesting. I'm amongst the top soldiers back at my tribe, so I guess you can call me a prince."

Katara and Tsuchi both choked on their food with laughter. "Prince?" Katara laughed.

"Aha, that was almost believable," Tsuchi mocked. "What next?"

"I never interrupt your conversations!" he snapped at them. Esperanza laughed.

"_No comprendo lo que usted está diciendo_," she giggled. "_Cómo_ _te llama_?"

"Uh, what?" he asked sheepishly.

"I think she wants your name, smart one," Tsuchi said in an imitation voice.

"Sokka," he said, holding out his hand. She looked at him, not knowing what to do.

"_Su nombre es Sokka_? _Eso es muy extraño_," she said.

"Uh, right," he said, unsure. "So, what are you doing tomorrow? Maybe we can, do, stuff, things…" He stopped himself and shoved some food in his mouth.

"_Excúseme_?" she asked, confused. "_No hablo su lingua_."

"I thought you'd say that," he said sadly, not very sure as to what she even said. He began to stuff more food in his mouth. He was beginning to realize that trying to flirt with someone who spoke a different language than they did was quite near impossible. It was most depressing to him. Why even bother?

'-'

A peculiar buzz was going about the ship. The nearing of summer's end was up in the air and the Avatar still hadn't made him move on overthrowing Fire Lord Ozai. It was this fact, which brought aboard the clear note of that.

A delivery ship boarded, giving Iroh a small paper parcel filled with papers. A few group of people gathered around to witness Iroh open up the mysterious package.

"What's in it?" one man asked.

"Maybe it's a gift," another suggested.

"Will you let him open it?" Lieutenant Ji snapped. "We won't find out if you keep asking."

Iroh carefully undid the paper wrapping and removed its contents.

"What is it?" someone from the back shouted.

"Is it a gift?" one man repeated.

"No," Iroh said, confused as to what he was holding.

"Then what is it?" another man asked.

"It's—" Lieutenant Ji started.

"It's invitations," Iroh finished, completely bewildered. "It's invitations to a celebration in the Fire Nation. They are celebrating the coming of summer and the nearing victory. There's enough for everyone here." He began handing out the invites, all of them labeled to an individual person. Iroh looked through them and knew he should tell Zuko about it. He deserved to know. Iroh found Zuko training on the front of the ship. He looked aggravated already, but Iroh knew he needed to know.

"Zuko," Iroh said very seriously, "I need to tell you something."

Zuko stopped and turned to his uncle. "What is it?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, but your father is throwing a dinner party in order to celebrate the nearing victory of the Fire Nation. Everyone got an invitation, and—"

"Go ahead and go to your stupid party," he snapped, turning around and punching the air. "I don't need any of you here. I have business I need to take care of anyways."

"But Zuko—"

"I don't care," he snarled, "I don't want to go. There are much more important things that need to be done."

"Zuko—"

"We need to plan our final assailment on the Avatar, that's much more important that some damn party you people were invited to."

"But—"

"Go on ahead," he shouted. "Have your fun, go chat with whomever. I don't care."

"I—"

"I told you already! I don't care!" He kicked hard enough, releasing a large blanket of fire out into the ocean. Iroh paused for a moment.

"Are you going to let me talk now?" he asked politely, but with the hint of anger.

"What?" he snapped. "What were you going to say?"

"I was going to say that there was an invitation for you, too," he said calmly. He removed from his sleeve a red envelope with the word 'Zuko' written in gold cursive. Zuko turned around and looked at it, not sure what to say.

"Well, are you going to take it?" Iroh asked him.

Zuko didn't answer right away. "I was invited?" he repeated quietly.

"Yes," Iroh replied. "I don't know what to say except that you are allowed to go. I suggest taking the offer. Who know when you'll capture the Avatar, whether it's soon or not. It's a golden opportunity to come back, and not get arrested."

Zuko reached out and took the invitation from his uncle. Iroh left, leaving Zuko to stare at the crimson envelope in hand.

_I was given an invitation home? _he thought. _It's an invitation. It's what I've been asking for, but not like this. This is in front of thousands of people. I haven't restored my honor rightfully yet. I can imagine it, the scorn, the ridiculing, the rumors, all of it beginning to boil when I walk through the doors. But… it's the only way home. Father's welcoming me back in a way… and it would be wrong to refuse his offer. Do I take it? I don't want to show my face without the Avatar, yet I've been hoping for this for the past three years. I don't know what to think anymore. _He slowly opened the envelope to read the contents it provided:

**_Fire Lord Ozai cordially invites you to celebrate the Fire Nation's nearing of victory with a dinner, scheduled for the fifteenth of this month. _**

**_Dress code for all soldiers is standard military dress uniform. _**

**_Each invitation allows the holder one guest. _**

**_Present this paper at the front gate. _**

**_The party will begin at sundown and will end as followed. _**

**_The dinner will be held in the Fire Lord's dining hall. Guards will be there in order to direct you to the correct place. _**

**_We await your reply to our invitation. _**

Zuko looked at it and shook his head. He didn't realize how much of a fool he was. His father didn't send these invitations, it was probably the servants. He was only on the guest list so that Fire Lord Ozai looked good. It was an occasion to be celebrated by all, and his son should have been included. It would have caused a stir amongst some more 'family-oriented' people, making the possibility that some might not fight in the final crusade against Ba Seng Sei. It frustrated him.

Yet it was still an invitation. He couldn't make his father suffer because of his own selfish reasons. Plus, if he didn't show up and then the family people withdrew from battle, they would certainly face a dangerous consequence.

And the third paragraph. One guest? Where did they expect him to find a guest to a party?

'-'

Yay! I nearly had a seizure writing this because I was just to freaking excited! I went all crazy. Well, it's 2:00 and I'm going to Sea World tomorrow. I'm so happy! I'm definitely going to think up the words for the next chapter! I hope the Spanish is accurate. I'm using and some of my half knowledge of the Spanish language and grammar, but it's not working out right. Either I'm off by a lot and things don't make sense, or the translator's off and things rEEly don't make sense! It's confusing. Well, I think the chapters will start getting longer, but just for this world. Or maybe throughout the whole thing, I don't know. I was just so crazy about this! Well, until next time, Signing Off!

REELY QUICK SPANISH LESSON!

á é í ó ú ü ñ, move the accent of the word to that syllable

The accents of the words are at the end of the word, rather than the middle.

Ll is pronounced with a y sound (ex: llamo is pronounced 'yamo')

Ñ sort of "dips" the n sound (makes it sound like 'ny' (ex: niños is pronounced 'nE-nyos'.)

I is pronounced as a capital 'E' (see above) and e is pronounced as a lowercase.

When it comes to 'qu', do NOT pronounce it as 'kw', it's pronounced 'k' (K sound) (ex: que is pronounced 'ke')

Nouns come before adjectives (ex: hija menor means 'younger daughter.')

All verbs are recognizable with their –ar, -er, and –ir suffixes. All verbs literally translate mean 'to –insert action-. For example, 'hablar' means 'to talk.' To put verbs into 'he did, she did, we did' sort of form, use this chart (sort of):

Chart outline:

I ; we 

You ; you (people, not used in standard language) 

Him, her, Ud. (formal) ; them, Uds. 

**-AR:**

-o ; -amos 

-as ; X 

-a ; -an 

**-ER and –IR**

-o ; -i/emos 

-es ;X 

-e ; -en 

In order to do this, all you have to do is remove the –ar, -er, or –ir from the word and add the proper suffix (ex: Hablar can turn to hablamos by removing the –ar). But that only works for standard verbs. Stem changing verbs are different, but I have no time for them today.


	41. Las Luces de la Caverna

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: I forgot some quick Spanish notes: J is pronounced as an 'h', and when it comes to H alone, the H is silent, unless it's accompanied by a C (ex: hablar is pronounced 'ah-blar,' while chico is pronounced 'chE-co.') and (ex: bajo is pronounced 'bah-ho.') Everything else, well, I just might have forgotten it or decided not to put it up.

PS: If I ripped off my own ethnicity, then I am truly saddened, beyond saddened...

Chapter forty-one (yay! o.O): Las Luces de la Caverna

'-'

Being treated as the royalty the people might have thought they were, Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Tsuchi were given a hut right outside the apparent governor/king's house. It was nicely furbished with straw mats as bed and luxurious carpets that were hand woven with wool, pink, green, purple, gold, red, and blue, nicely blended into diamond-shaped patterns. There were no windows, however, there were squared holes in the wall to allow the breeze to flow in and ventilate the room. There were nicely, what looked liked pillows, on the bed along with multicolored blankets. Luminaries sat on small tables that looked like they were fashioned from bones of a large animal. A wash bucket sat in a corner, but unfortunately, it had no water in it.

"_Ustedes pueden obtener el agua de la cueva subterránea_," a woman with a white dress on said to them. Although she didn't look as rich as the family offering their 'home,' she sure dressed like she lived here. Her outfit was not as plain as the other villagers, but it was nicer. "_Puedo traerlos donde está_."

"What did she say?" Aang whispered to Katara. She shrugged, just as curious.

The lady turned to them. "_Todos, ven_!" she snapped. "_Señor Heliodoro me dijo_."

The lady beckoned with her arm, signaling that she wanted them to follow. They shrugged and decided to follow the lady.

She led them over to the underground cave they had seen earlier that day. The sky was darker than the sky back home, which was why the lady was leading them with a bright lantern. "_Vengan aquí_!" she snapped. "_Aya_," she whispered, muttering some more things under her breath. The four followed her into the cave, trying not to lose their balance on the wet floor. She brought them down into a hallowed out cavern, the most beautiful and majestic sight they had ever seen.

The cavern was about four hundred feet in diameter, stalactites descending to the ground. A small lake resided inside the grotto. The moon shone into the cave, illuminating the small pond with its gorgeous light. The light brown stone interior reflected the light fairly well, brightening up the cave just enough, but still dark enough to capture its beauty. "_Ustedes consigue su agua aquí. Ustedes pueden también bañarse aquí.__La gente nada aquí. Hay pescados aquí, gente se parece gozar de ellos_."

"This is so cool," Aang whispered. "I have to come swimming here some time."

"It's magnificent," Katara agreed. "This is a natural beauty."

"Eh, it's a hollow rock with water in it," Sokka said, bored. "You can make one of these."

"Yes, yes you can," Tsuchi said sarcastically. "But see, not everyone has eight million years to create millenniums of erosion and water damage. And since we can't do that, let's just marvel."

"Ha, ha, you're very funny," he mumbled.

Katara was just about ready to fill up her water skin while Aang had the bucket from the room, when a sound of splashing caught their attention. Everyone jolted their head up to see what or who was causing the cacophony.

Out from the shadow came the little girl from the banquet, Cenobia. She was still dressed in her dining clothes and drenched to the bone; and also had her hand on a struggling catfish. "_Guadalupe_!" the little girl shrieked. "_Ve lo que cogí_!"

"_Cenobia_!" the lady she called Guadalupe shouted. "_Salga del agua_!"

"_Pero, Lupe…_" Cenobia whined.

"_Ahora_!" Lupe growled. "_La cosa pasada que necesitamos está para que los salvadores ven a nuestra princesa lamentable_."

The little girl pouted and dropped her fish, which darted away and off behind a rock. She trudged her way towards the shore, dripping and making puddles on the stone floor. Guadalupe grabbed her arm and gave her three quick swats on the behind. "_Nunca desconciértenos como eso otra vez_!" she scolded her_. Será su avería si nos todos maldicen_!"

"_Ay_," Cenobia grumbled. "_Sí, sí. Calmala_." She turned to Aang, who she just barely noticed was there. "_Hola_," she said cheerfully. "_Cómo te llama_?"

Already knowing from a previous experience as to the meaning of 'Cómo te llama' was, Aang replied, "Well, I'm Aang, and they are—"

"_No habla con ustedes_!" Lupe snapped at Cenobia, swatting her on the head this time.

"_Sí, sé_," Cenobia growled. Lowly and inaudibly, she muttered something that sounded like "_Pendeja_."

"_Lo siento_," Guadalupe said apologetically. "_Ella no le incomodará otra vez_."

"_Era hablando_!" Cenobia grumbled.

"I think we should go now," Katara hissed in Aang's ear after Lupe slapped Cenobia again on the hands.

"She sure is taking a lot of abuse," Aang muttered. He quickly bended some water into the bucket, which was seen by Cenobia who had now stopped arguing with the woman.

"_Lupe, Lupe, tú vio eso_?" she shrieked. "_Él llenó el cubo sin ponerlo en el agua! Fueron enviados verdad por los dioses_!"

"_Silencio tu boca_!" Lupe snarled. She grabbed her arm and clamped on. Not even the strongest tools could break her grip. "_Vengan, vengan_," she said hurriedly to the lot of them. She hurried out of the cavern, Cenobia trailing behind her, chatting and pleading for what seemed like mercy.

"She acts like this hasn't been the first time," Tsuchi whispered in a giggle.

"You should be able to concur," Sokka said sarcastically.

"Shut you mouth, you mediocre hunter," she snapped. Tsuchi exited the cave, Katara, Aang, and Sokka followed.

"Hey, Tsuchi?" Katara said, catching up to her.

"Mmm?" she sounded.

"I don't think you're handling this whole situation with Sokka very well," she said as nicely as she could put it. "He's very sarcastic, I know, but do you think you can not reply with something just as bad?"

"You mean worse?" she said cheerfully. "I think I can do that. No guarantees, though."

"No, I mean don't be sarcastic when you reply to him. Sokka can be very sensitive at time and—"

Tsuchi snorted. "Sokka? Sensitive? Sure, he can act a little-," she bent her arm up and flicked her wrist down, making a feminine motion, "but come on. Sensitive by def. is technically affected by other people's emotions. I mean, sensitive as in he can't take jokes in regards to him, yes. Sensitive as in he won't hurt people because he'll feel bad? No near death experience could fix that."

"Well, he only starts these conversations because he knows how you react," Katara said calmly, but more firmly.

"Katara," Tsuchi said, turning to her. "Even if I do stop, he's not going to. You can tell me and tell me until the sky falls, but it won't make him stop. I'll tell you what, if you can talk him out of sarcasm, then I'll stop. But until then, I ain't stopping." Tsuchi walked off, but Katara wasn't done.

"Tsuchi, I don't like the fact that you two can't get along. We all need to stick together in this to help Aang and we can't have the two of you always at each other's throats."

"As far as I'm concerned, so long as I'm not at Aang's throat, I really see no problem."

"He's my brother," she said firmly, slowly dropping the kindness. "My gran-gran sent him to watch me—"

"Then as long as he likes you, then that's fine," Tsuchi sighed. "I don't see—"

"I don't like it when people argue, that's all," Katara finally had to say. "Arguing brings division, and what happens if you two argue so much it starts to get violent? Who do we get rid of? Him or you?"

"Frankly," she said without any hint of sarcasm, with no hint of emotion, "him. What has he done for us lately? What contribution does he put in?"

"I can't believe you!" Katara hissed. "How could you even consider thinking about getting rid of my brother? He's been here longer than you have! You don't know what he's done for us! He's my brother and we owe him our loyalty! We know him better than you and—"

"And what?" she snapped. "Like that really matters! Katara, this is not a team. It's not a boat, not a machine that has a lot of parts of it that have to work together. The metaphors are all crap. No one deserves more respect than others; no one should have more trust, nothing. It's not if Sokka leaves, we all fall apart."

"What about you?" Katara snapped back. "We won't fall apart if you leave either!"

"Yeah, but take into consideration: Aang needs a firebending and an earthbending teacher. Where else can you find one without having to add two more people on boards?" She presented the problem to her and added, "And who would Aang get madder at when he finds out his fire/earthbending teacher left? Me, the person I was most arguing with, or the person who said it'd best if I left?" She shrugged and strutted off back into the house they were given for the week. Katara screamed and threw her arms down.

"What's your problem?" Sokka asked. He and Aang had been watching the fight from a safe distance. It wasn't wise to be right in front of either of them when they were aggravated.

"She cannot be reasoned with!" Katara screeched. "It's like she so adamant about her opinion and it will never change!" She growled and walked inside, leaving the conversation at a cliffhanger.

"See, those two are not exactly meant to talk to each other, especially when they're stubborn like that."

"Do you think they'll stop arguing?" Aang asked, worried. Katara was his friend and teacher, but he also needed Tsuchi to teach him fire and earthbending. It was that problem that made siding difficult.

"I don't know," Sokka shrugged. "I can't understand the minds of girls. They confuse me." Sokka walked into the hut and threw himself on an available bed. Girls were hard to understand, whether they were vague…

Or spoke another language…

'-'

The sun shone though their small hut, hitting them with heat, stuffiness, and the sound of people already up and working. Apparently the locals weren't the only ones. Sokka woke, stretched out, and looked around the room to find that he was alone. A note next to his nightstand revealed that they had woken up early for a morning practice, while it was still cool. Sokka had no idea what time it was or why they left him to sleep in so long. His stomach began to growl, signaling he should eat. He quickly dressed and went looking for Appa, who still might have had their food.

He walked outside to see small children running around Appa, screaming and laughing.

"_Es el búfalo del vuelo_!" the children chanted. _"__Los dioses nos bendecirán todos__ted_!"

"Shoo, shoo, away!" he yelled at the children, waving his hands at them. The children looked at him and ran off, giggling and chattering with each other. Sokka shook his head and looked into his bag. It was empty, except for one or two stale biscuits. "Damn it," he muttered. He turned to Appa and Momo, who seemed to be swallowing something. "Did you eat our food?" Sokka shouted at them. Momo chirped and continued eating an apple slice. "How could you—" He stopped himself as he realized who he was talking to. He turned around and decided to look for the others when someone's arm appeared in front of him, holding out a mango. He turned to the holder and nearly fell.

"_Chiapas_," the teen he had tried to talk to last night, Esperanza said. She was alone and seemed to come from nowhere. She smiled at him, offering the fruit to him. "_Usted parece hambriento. __Aquí, tome esto_."

He looked at her, then slowly reached out and took the fruit. "Uh, thanks," he nodded. She smiled at him and waded in an awkward silence.

"_Bien_," she sighed, "_adiós_." She turned and left. Sokka shook his head and took a bite from the mango.

_I should have said more_, he thought. _Idiot_.

_Okay, what benefit would that have_? he then though to himself.

He found it best not to consider any possibilities. He couldn't figure out why he found himself wrapped up with someone who couldn't understand him or vice versa. Frankly, it upset him. Sometimes, it seemed like happiness was his worst enemy. He would just have to keep his feelings to himself. It was the only way. He sighed and turned to Momo and Appa.

"Do you guys ever have the feeling like people just don't understand you?" The two just looked at him.

'-'

"Very good Aang," Katara commented. The two of them had been practicing for the past four hour or so inside the cave, so that no one disturbed them. There had been a few children swimming earlier, but they ran off, giggling at the sight of them. It seemed that all the children were doing that. Aside from giggling children, people had been giving them free stuff all morning from food, to drinks, to other nick-knacks that looked too expensive to be giving away. They had been questioning that all morning, but it was too hard since no one understood.

"You've certainly have it down," Katara praised Aang, as he started exercising other random moves. "But just incase, I want to practice for another hour."

"Remember, we still have firebending to take care of," Tsuchi said to Katara. "But I don't know if I'm qualified."

Katara glared at her, but shook the comment off. "Katara," Aang interrupted, seeing the faint hint of hostility between the two, "I can use some help with my form. I can't seem to get this down." Whether it was on purpose or whether he was making excuses to draw Katara's attention away from Tsuchi, Aang was attempting to solidify the water, but just couldn't seem to do it.

Just about a half hour had passed with the same routine. It was taking so long that Tsuchi started to fall asleep when the three of them were startled by the sound of footsteps. From the entrance appeared Cenobia, peaking her head around the edge. "_Shh_," she hissed at them, tiptoeing into the cavern. "_No diga Lupe_." With a running start, she jumped into the water.

"There goes one brave kid," Tsuchi mumbled. "Went swimming yesterday, got a beating and comes back to do the same thing."

"So what about you?" Katara asked.

"No, see, I waited awhile before I did something again, just so that my aunt could cool down."

"_Vengan y juegan conmigo_," she begged. She splashed Aang and waited. "_Juega_!" She waded there, frowning. "_Nunca importe_," Cenobia sighed. "_Usted tienen probablemente cosas mejores a hacer_."

"I think she wants to play with you," Katara said to Aang. The little girl looked back at him with her big brown eyes.

"Can I, Katara?" Aang asked, closely resembling a child.

"Well…" Katara thought, but Tsuchi interrupted.

"Oh, let him play," she said sarcastically. "It's not like I had any plans to teach him any firebending or earthbending. I think we can spare some daylight."

"Thanks," Aang smiled, diving into the water. Tsuchi shook her head.

"Come on, Tsuchi," Katara said. Aang and Cenobia were splashing each other, Aang having the only advantage because of his waterbending skills. "We've been working for a while, it's hot and—"

"You're working in water," Tsuchi flatly said. "I think you've stayed cool enough."

"What about you?" Katara asked. "You've been sitting there all day while we've been practicing. Why don't you take a dip?" Tsuchi could tell Katara was trying to be nice, but she still wanted to get down to business.

"I don't do well in water," she said. "We sort of clash sometimes."

"You can use a break," Katara said. "Come on, have some fun. Aang pretty much has everything now, he's getting ahead on earth and fire and he's pretty much has water down. Just let him unwind before you train with him."

Tsuchi shrugged. "Eh. I still don't want to swim." She kicked off her shoes and socks and began moving the earth from under her feet. Katara sighed and watched Aang play with Cenobia. It wasn't long until Sokka had finally caught up with them inside the cavern.

"Sokka go and join them," Tsuchi called. "You look filthy."

Sokka glowered. "So do you. Why aren't you in there?"

"I'm like a cat when it comes to water," she said truthfully. "I'll only go if I want to."

"Yeah right," he mumbled. "I don't want to swim. I have better things to do and I don't want to swim in this water. It just doesn't look appeasing to me."

"I take it you're allergic," she said coolly. He growled but didn't say anything. "I'm leaving," he mumbled. "I have better things to do."

'-'

The night came much slower today than it did yesterday, which also lead to another banquet in their honor. The food today seemed to be even better today; either that or they had grown slightly accustom to is since last night. It was the same seating arrangement, which wasn't what Sokka wanted. He sat next to Esperanza again, which made it awkward for him. He tried his best to keep his mouth shut, but it was so tempting to attempt talking to her. Esperanza glanced at him once and a while, the reason he didn't know why.

"Sokka, are you okay?" Katara asked her brother. He shook his head and didn't say anything. He picked at his food, picking it up and actually eating it once and a while. Katara looked at him with concern in his eyes. Her brother was always hungry, always eating when food was put in front of him, but today, he was just picking at it. Something was seriously wrong with him. "Are you feeling alright?" she asked calmly. "Do you feel sick?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I'll just eat in the hut." He took some food off the plate and walked away back to their hut. Esperanza watched him leave, then turned back to her food when she noticed Katara looking at her. Katara knew why he was sick, yet she was still confused.

'-'

Sokka walked the grounds of the village, not concentrating on anything. The night sky was much cooler and much peaceful than the room they were sleeping in. The others had come back from the dinner party, talking up a storm. It was hurting his head, along with the extreme stuffiness of the room, so he told them he was going out for a walk. The stickiness of the weather clung to him, making him feel unctuous. He decided to go over to the cave's pond and wash up before he headed back to bed.

The cave was cooler than the outside by twenty degrees, and not as sticky as the outside. He took his shoes and jacket off along with anything else he didn't need and got in (quick A/N: remember 'cave of two lovers'). The water was the perfect temperature, not tepid, but slightly colder than the outside weather. Having no soap, he rubbed his arms to get the dirt off, most of it anyways. The cold water shut his mind off, but just temporarily. He felt tired for some reason, even after he had slept in until possibly noon. The heat was probably the culprit of his sudden fatigue. "This is better," he said aloud, yet still quiet so that no one knew he was there. He yawned and stretched out his back and arms, and was ready to leave when—

"_Quién está allí_?" someone asked fiercely.

"What?" Sokka said, startled by the sudden

"_Quién está allí_!" the voice shouted again. The shadow turned from behind a rock, which made Sokka scream and nearly fall backwards.

Esperanza was standing shoulder deep in the water, now wearing blue, different attire from dinner. Her expression suddenly changed. "_Usted pervierte_," she shrieked, "_espiando en mí_! _Qué usted pensaba_?"

"I'm sorry!" he pleaded, turning and facing the wall in the opposite direction. He put his hands up as if he was signaling he was innocent. "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry; I didn't know you were here! If I knew I wouldn't have come! Please forgive me!"

Esperanza didn't say anything. She stood up fully from the water and watched him cower in a way on the opposite end. "_Calmala_," she said calmly. "_Lo siento, no signifiqué reaccionar esa manera_."

Sokka didn't move. "Is it safe?" he asked slowly. "Can I turn around now?"

She sighed. "_Vuelta alrededor. Quiero hablar con usted_."

Sokka remained motionless. "Was that a yes or a no?" he asked her, nodding and shaking at the proper spots.

"_Sí_," she sighed. Sokka still remained motionless.

"Umm, no comprehension," he said as clearly as possible. "So—"

"_Sí_," she repeated.

"Uh, is see," he asked, shaking his head.

"_No_," she replied with annoyance.

"So wait, see is," he asked again, this time, nodding.

"_Sí_," she sighed. "_Ahora vuelta alrededor_."

Sokka turned around slowly to see that Esperanza hadn't moved from her spot, maybe just closer by an inch or two. "_Pues, usted es los que_ _sacrificaremos_." She walked only slightly closer, still leaving a ten foot gap between them. "_Mi padre ha estado pensado de sacrificándome desde que nací. Yo sé que sería incorrecto declinar, pero todavía no desearía a_." She laughed lightly, but it seemed forced. "_Mi hermana se ha quejado siempre. Ella tiene deseó ser considerada un sacrificio, pero mi padre dice que ella es demasiado oscura_." Sokka smiled and nodded, not even remotely sure of what she was saying.

"_Él le dice que si ella el jugar parara afuera con los otros niños, ella no sería quizá tan oscura como ella es_." She sighed, and continued inching closer. "_Cambiaría dispuesto con ella, pero no puedo_." She sighed, but she was coming closer and closer with every word she spoke. Sokka wasn't sure whether he should back away or stay in his spot. He lingered, but she kept moving.

"_Me gusta usted_," she said lowly. "_Sé que usted no puede entenderme, solamente yo me siento como podría decirle cualquier cosa si hablamos la misma lengua_." She continued inching closer, Sokka only 'millimetering' away from Esperanza. "_Es Sokka, derecha_? _Hoy en cena, usted era distante_. _Por qué era eso_?" Sokka shook his head.

"I can't understand you," he sighed.

"_Escucha mí, pienso que usted puede entenderme_. _Es una vista triste_. _Pero a me obliga que guarde el hablar_." She sighed. She was looking down at the water as the fish swam between them. She was now only a few feet away and still moving in. "_No sé cuáles es, pero siento una conexión extraña entre nosotros. Usted siente el mismo_?" She finally looked up at him and when she did, she was close enough for Sokka to see her face more clearly. Her chocolate eyes hid themselves in the dark, but her hair made her vibrant. He reverted his eyes back to the floor.

"_Si usted podría hablarme, aposté que usted no quiere hablar conmigo_," she sighed again. "_Pero_," she said slowly and quietly, now only inches away from him, "_entonces otra vez_..."

She looked up at him and their eyes met. Even though the thought was selfish, Sokka knew what was coming; it was inevitable. She closed her eyes and moved closer, close enough for him to hear her breathing, close enough to feel it. It was not difficult. She lifted her head and their lips met. It was if it was out of a story book, the lighting dim and mysterious, the silence hitting their ears, the absence of everything living but them. Time was gone and everything frozen. Sokka's mind was blank as he couldn't believe what was happening. His day long dream had come true, but for some reason, he didn't feel right.

She pulled away gently and said, "_Usted nunca sabe_."

He finally figured out why. "I can't do this!" he yelled, walking away from her, out of the water, and back on shore. He threw his clothes on while Esperanza was still wading in the water. "I like you and all, I really do, but it sucks for me. He groaned and hit his hand against his forehead. "My only problem is that I can't understand you! It's frustrating! I don't know what you've been saying to me. For all I know, that was out of some sort of pity." He growled. "I wish it could work… but I don't know."

Esperanza stood in the water and didn't say anything. What felt like a minute past before she finally moved out of the water, past Sokka, and to a small patch of dirt that sat in the cave. She picked up a stick and began writing on the floor. Sokka walked slowly over to where she was kneeling to see what she was writing. It was actually a drawing. In the dirt, she drew two stick figures: one was obviously a male, the other one a female. Above them, she wrote in a strange character that he had only seen once before in the cave where he obtained his knife. It was also engraved in the knife itself.

"_Tú_," she said clearly, pointing to him. "Yo," she added, pointing to herself. "Nosotros," she said, circling her finger around, indicating the both of them. "_Tú y yo es nosotros_," she said slowly and clearly. "_Comprende_?"

Sokka nodded, hoping he understood.

"_Bien_," she said. She turned to the stick figures and pointed to them. "_Chico_," she said, pointing to the male figure. "_Chica_," she said, now pointing to the female. "_Siéntese_," she said to him, making a gesture to sit down. He sat in front of her, a state of confusion and less happiness.

"Are you," he started to correct, but corrected himself, "yo—"

"No, no, no," she sighed, shaking her head. "_Yo_," she repeated, pointing to herself. "T_ú_," she fixed, pointing to him. She did it one more time, slowly, clearly and more firmly, hoping that he understood.

"Wait," he said, holding out his hand, "so, is it, yo," pointing to himself,  
"and _tú_?" finally pointing to her.

"_Sí_!" she exclaimed, nodding her head. "_Sí_, _sí_, _sí, sí_,_ sí_!" She seemed ecstatic that he understood. "_Muy bien, Sokka_!"

And the lessons continued from there, into the night, until the sun was not even visible, but still blooming into another day.

'-'

Yeah, what a schmaltzy chapter. I think I'll move onto Zuko in the next one. I have a crap load of things planned out for them. You meet new people (none of them are really important, maybe two or three, but that's out of, what, ten, fifteen people I randomly made up?) All of them are really going based on my Sims2 game. Shoot, in fact, some of the events that have happened I based them off of the stuff that happens with the people I made for them. I have a Zuko family thingy; I have OCs in there, although I do want to make an Aang family (make Monk Giatsu or sommat) and then I want to make a Katara and Sokka family. But randomly, I was watching House M.D the other day, and looking at House's personality, I would love to see him in the Avatar world or them in his world. I won't make that the last world definitely, but it would be awesome if they met. With his sarcastic and difficult mean, that could make a great story. Katara would be like Dr. Cameron towards him, Sokka and him could be best friends, Aang can be like that little girl in 'Need to Know.' I would also laugh at when he talks to Toph. That would be fun. Those two could go either way. And what I'd love to see more is him talking to Zuko! That would be laugh out loud funny. But yeah, I was thinking about that and what House would say to all of them and how they'd respond, and I was holding in my laughter the whole time. Yeah, not a very smart idea while you're at practice and four noobes are looking at you wondering what to do… But that'd be awesome. Well, I'm done with my rant. Until next time, Signing Off!


	42. The Worst is Here to Stay

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's Note: Best to get the ball rolling with Zuko and his big party invite thingy. This chapter'll be dedicated to him and the whole ordeal. A lot of things are changing, and a lot of secrets and things will happen, just so you know. On with the fic!

Chapter forty-two: The Worst is Here to Stay

'-'

Zuko scoured the ship, first in a few choice places, then in any nook he could possibly find. It was finally when he reached the top of the ship when he found what he was looking for. Hiashi lay with her jacket over her head, blocking the heat from the sun. He kicked her knee, which was more of a rough nudge to get her attention. She removed her jacket from her head. "What?" she asked annoyed.

"You're invited," he said lowly, as if afraid someone might hear. "There's this… thing over in the Fire Nation. The point is you're going as my guest."

She looked as if she wanted to laugh. "No thank you," she said seriously. "I don't want to. I'm not a people person. Or a party person."

"I didn't ask you," he said bluntly. "I said you're coming with me."

"Oh, so now you're forcing me to go to a party?" She laughed. "Do you know how sad that is?"

"You are coming with me and you can't decline," he snarled. "Live with it."

"Keh, please!" she scoffed. "Why would I want to go anywhere with you? Give me one reason.

"If you don't want me to turn you in," he said. "If the Fire Nation knows—"

"Oh, bright one," she said sarcastically. "Gives me all the reason to stay. There's no way in hell that I'll go anywhere but fighting with you."

"I am not asking," he snapped. "It's an order. I don't ask for anything from anyone; I command. There's a huge difference."

"Yeah, I don't listen to orders," she said firmly, standing up. She walked over to him and began jabbing him in the chest. "Fuck you, fuck your damn invitation, I don't give two shits about the Fire Nation. They suck and so does their damn war. If it wasn't for it, I wouldn't have said yes to your uncle when he invited me to come."

"God, I can't believe I actually tired doing something nice for you!" Zuko snarled.

"What person in the right mind _orders_ someone to do something, then tell them they were doing something nice?" she retorted. "Are you just dense or is that really your attitude? If you're stupid, I think it's contagious because I use less vocabulary in my daily lexicon than I use to. I think losing my brain cells are price enough."

"I am not going to argue with a peasant like you!" he growled. "You are coming with me and you can't say no!"

"Ha!" she laughed. "And what if I don't go, huh? What are you going to do about it? Fire me? Turn me into the Fire Nation? Oh, this will be an interesting visit: 'Oh dad, I've been housing a fugitive while I was exiled. Please, take her as a gift.' He'll throw your ass in there with me! So, I suggest you change your mind."

"This isn't about you!" he snapped.

"No, I deduce this is about you?" she asked. "And what, might I ask would make you fraught to ask me to come to this party?"

"Because I don't want the past three years to be rubbed in my face!" he snapped. Without even looking at her, he stormed off to the other side of the ship, leaving her with only a glare on her face.

'-'

"Fucking party," Hiashi snarled under her breath, completing another round of sit-ups on the pipe in her room. Even though the inside of the ship was worse that putting a pillow over her face, it was the only place Zuko wouldn't go. He hadn't set foot on her floor since Engoku and she didn't think he had plans to do it in the future. "The last thing I need is to dress up like some sort of fucking geisha. What an asinine idea."

She grabbed the pole and dropped to the floor. She shook her head as the heat caused sharp pains in her frontal lobe. _You did say if one of us got out of here alive, it'd be him. At the very least, he has a reason to live._ But her reluctance to go and her guilt to refuse the offer was tearing at her. "Crap dammit," she mumbled. She fished around her quarters for something when she came across a coin. _Okay, heads I go, tails I don't. _She held her breath and—

'-'

"Zuko?" Hiashi asked lowly. It was close to dark and the air was not lifting. Zuko was outside training again. It seemed that every time he was stressed, he could be found training or meditating.

He stopped kicking yet didn't turn around. "What the fuck do you want? Are you going to make fun of me again? Or maybe you'd like to take a stab at something else."

"Shut the fuck up, you moron, I don't want to say anything like that," she mumbled.

"Well, what do you want?" he snapped, executing a roundhouse kick, sending fire out to sea.

"I came here to tell you I'll go to your damn shindig. I don't want to, but I'll go."

"What'd you do, flip a coin?" he said sardonically.

"No," she mumbled, "I was going to, but realized I could predict the outcome of what I was flipping. I just decided to do you a favor."

He laughed. "I don't need your favors. Why don't you go back and flip your stupid coins, do your stupid 'calculations,' and leave me alone. Your pity sickens me."

"Hey! Listen to me!" she screeched at him. He stopped his training, but still decided not to face her. "I don't want to go. I would dread to go. Candidly, I left Engoku to avoid people in the Fire Nation. But you know what? I'm truly prepared to jeopardize my life for _you _for once and you aren't going to permit me. That, right there is pure egotism."

"Fine, you know what? Fine, take my damn invitation. See what I care!" He turned to face her. "Thinking you can pity me into allowing you—"

"Pity you?" she shrieked. "How is stating the obvious salvaging for pity?"

"Just silence yourself and accept the offer." He began to walk off when Hiashi grabbed him by the arm.

"Listen," she said quietly, "when we go to that celebration, I'm not 'Hiashi', okay? I'm Sara. I grew up in the Earth Kingdom colonies. I had a father, a mother, and no one else. You found me."

"I don't want to hear your damn alibi, I don't think—"

"Zuko, you'd be flabbergasted as to who would want what," she said quietly. "Some want life stories, some want proof. Others want to shred you for all data. Just take that into consideration."

"But why the hell do _I_ need to know this?" he snapped. "I wouldn't care if you were a beggar with five dead relatives."

"It's just cover material," she sighed, "simple information. Info you would discern from perceiving."

He shook his head and looked at her, trying to figure her out with just a stare. "Alright," he finally said. "I don't want to be ashamed of you, or others to pity you." He pulled himself out of her grasp. "We're a week away from the Fire Nation capital. You better disguise yourself."

'-'

With what little material she had, Hiashi sat cross-legged on her bed, needle and thread in hand, sewing away on a potential dress. She was never very handy with a needle or thread, but she tried desperately to remember all what her mother, and her father, had taught her of the subject. The red material meshed with everything and seemed nothing more than a scarlet amoeba. "Sweet misery, she sighed, "I hope this is better than anything I've had to live with."

'-'

The day arrived; the day Zuko had been dreading since he first received his invitation. The day was warmer that it should have been, partly due to his attire. Formal attire, similar to his usual uniform, only it was less metal, more cloth. Zuko paced back and forth rapidly, keeping himself from bringing his nails to his mouth. _Damn it, where's Hiashi? I just want to get this whole thing over with!_ He turned on his heel and faced the entrance to the ship. "Hiashi!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "I swear it, if you don't get out here right now—"

Hiashi kicked the door open in frustration. "Oh, please forgive me, sir Jerk-a-Lot! I hope I didn't ruin what little of your life that actually exists." She stepped out cautiously from the door frame. "God dang it. Now I remember why I hate dresses." Zuko's jaw dropped. Hiashi draped herself in a long sleeved, shape forming scarlet dress that touched the floor. The sun glistened off the silk and accenting the black laced trim, belt, and collar. She wore her hair up for once, covering her face as usual, but hiding what remainder of black that resided.

Hiashi glared. "What the hell are you staring at?"

"You're wearing long sleeves, and it's hot out," he sneered.

"I don't want to draw attention, ass," Hiashi snapped. "Now are we going or what?"

Darkness fell quickly for summer. People had already gathered inside and out the large, glass and stone banquet hall. The two, along with the rest of the crew, walked to the front where a tall man stood, marking people off a scroll.

"Zuko," he said to the dark haired man. He scanned down the parchment.

"Is this your plus one?" the man asked deeply and sharply. Zuko nodded just as sharp. The man handed him a piece of paper. "You sit in the back, section 35, table 4." He motioned him out of the way to check in the rest of the guests. Zuko shook his head, but moved inside.

The banquet hall was majestic, gold in interior and taller than the heavens. Candles and chandeliers bedecked the great walls, with accented Fire Nation insignias, banners, and signs declaring congratulation on an upcoming victory. Tables were decorated with candelabras, gold plates, gold dining utensils, gold hinted tablecloths, crystal bowls filled with floating candles, golden marbles, and hornet betas, gold chairs, gold roses in gold vases. The gold nugget room set off the sea of black, red, and orange, black, brown, and grey. The tables were organized by sections as expected, and in fact they were seated in the back, only they were the only one in their group to be seated so far back that the gold room shifted to copper. Hiashi pulled the chair that was closest to the back and slouched down.

"I am going to stay here," she said calmly. "Go do your Prince thing and pick me up when you want to leave."

"Like hell I'm leaving," he growled. He pulled up the chair next to her, but before he could even sit, someone called to him.

"Well, I thought it was just a rumor, but I guess all rumors have an air of truth around them!"

Out from the sea of blood and darkness stepped a girl close to their age. She was wearing a uniform similar to Zuko's, only more lady-like in style. She would not have been a sight, she was normal, except in one sense: her hair was blond. "I thought I'd never see your sorry ass here ever again, but I'm glad you decided to show," the girl said, cat-walking towards Zuko. She stopped uncomfortably close to him and looked up, for he was a foot taller than she.

"I was hoping I'd never see you too, Marukai," he said caustically. "I guess I was wrong."

"Yeah, you were," she said bluntly. "But you see, I was great. I made my way up the military pyramid fast. I'm an Ensign now. But I guess you wouldn't know that. You don't even bother to check in with your ex-fiancé."

Hiashi's mouth dropped. "Your _fiancé_?"

The girl Zuko addressed as Marukai suddenly noticed her. "I'm sorry, I don't affiliate myself with peasants, but yes. Zuko and I were betrothed at one point, but anyone with the simplest of culture would have known that." She brushed her bangs away from her face, pass a beauty mark next to her eye. "So what brings you here after abandoning me so long ago?"

Zuko began to speak, but she cut him off abruptly. "Wait, I just remember that I don't care. You're just a jerk. I was looking forward to becoming queen of the Fire Nation, but you had to go and screw it up and _do the right thing_! God, such a pussy. Now if you'll excuse me, I have people to philander with." She turned on her heel and pranced back into the sea of evil. Hiashi eyed him with surprise.

"Wife, huh?" she said condescendingly. "That seems... kind of odd, especially for you."

"It's nothing!" he hissed. "Can we drop it?"

"Not on your life," she laughed. Before Zuko could retaliate, a different couple crossed out of the sea.

"I can't believe it," the girl said. "First you make me come to this party, and now we sit in the nosebleeds? Seriously, Xang?"

"It's not my fault," the one addressed as Xang said. "I tried getting ranked higher. I've only been working for three years!"

"Yeah, but the blonde-haired chick is up top with the Ensigns, and she's younger than you! What the hell?"

"Please, Zayika, you're making a scene," Xang said as quietly as he could.

"I'm not making a scene!" she snapped. "And if I want to make a scene, then I will." She walked up to her chair and brushed back her neatly done curly brown hair. "Well, are you going to pull my chair out?"

"Damn it, Zayika, pull it out yourself, you're 16 for God sakes! I'm not your butler."

"Ugh, no wonder you can't get a girlfriend," she mumbled, angrily yanking her chair from the table. She suddenly noticed Zuko and Hiashi sitting at their table. Her face suddenly brightened.

"Why hello there," she said seductively to Zuko. "My name is Zayika." She turned to the guy named Xang next to her with black hair, long, in the face, but neatly done. "And this is my older brother, Xang. Aren't you Prince Zuko?"

Zuko glared. "Yes," he answered curtly. The girl named Zayika giggled childishly. She turned to her brother rapidly. "I am so glad we got to sit here!" Xang glared.

Another couple came towards the table. The girl was taller than the guy, and slightly larger than he. She wore much make-up and her hair was a fiery wave of red. Her counterpart was the opposite, gangly-like, pale, with black hair neatly set on his head. "Did you want anything, sweetie?" the boy said quietly, but gently.

"Yeah, I can use a cognac right now," the girl shrugged. "I'm parched!"

"Uh, Park honey, I don't think the bar is opened yet," he said timidly.

"Nah, it's okay, I can hold on for a bit." She pulled her chair out and plopped herself down. She looked around at the table, confused. "We got sat with a bunch of weirdoes," she whispered loudly to the guy."

"No, no," he laughed nervously. "That's Xang and his sister. I don't know why you don't know this man. He's Prince Zuko."

"Prince?" she laughed loudly. "What is a prince doing out in these tables?"

Zuko was ready to lurch out at her, but restrained himself.

The guy shook his head. "Please don't say those kinds of things out loud," he asked nicely.

"Lian, please," she scoffed. "I doubt any of them care."

The one called Lian sighed and took his seat next to his date. "Hey Xang," he mumbled. Xang nodded in a quiet hello. "I always hate sitting in the back," Lian groaned. "We're always forgotten."

"Yeah, I know man," Xang replied. "It'll be a while before we get food."

"I'm not getting up," Zayika said roughly. "If this is buffet style, you get me my food. I walked all the way over here and this dress is heavy. And these shoes do it no justice."

Hiashi, who had stayed quiet through the whole ordeal, was the first of the two to speak up. "Well, had you worn something more secure, there wouldn't be so much pain."

"Yeah," Zayika snapped, "well beauty is pain, I mean, what about your outfit? It has to be heavy, or at least tight."

"No, you can't always have just one," Hiashi said calmly. "There is always the need to prioritize. Depending if there one will be out for a while, there must be a balance of comfort and exquisiteness." Zayika, and her brother, were both horrorstruck.

"Really?" Zayika said with earnest interest. Please tell more."

But before Hiashi could continue, a third, and last couple walked to their table. "Damn it Kurogane, you made me late! When we leave, I swear to God I'll make you sorry!" the man hissed. The girl nodded silently. Her raven hair went to her cheek bones down to her chin, covering her face, which was covered in scrapes, scratches and bruised. She had the strangest color of violet in her eyes and the worst expression upon her face.

But the man…

Hiashi froze.


	43. The Intoxicated Skeleton

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's Note: So I got antsy while playing the Sims game, I decided to continue writing. Idk if it'll be interesting, so let's get the ball rolling!

Chapter forty-three: The Intoxicated Skeleton

'-'

"You!" the man snarled. "I thought I killed you?"

"Me?" Hiashi reiterated, taking a deep breath. "I don't even know you."

"Don't give me that bull shit!" he barked, grabbing one of the glasses off the table and smashing it into infinite shards. "I know who you are, _Hiashi_!" The table turned their heads toward her with confusion and inquiry.

Hiashi remained silent for a moment. "I have no idea who the hell this 'Hiashi' is, but assuming I was said person, why would I be stupid enough to come to the Fire Nation?"

"The fuck if I know!" he snapped, crushing his fist into the ice shards on the table. "You were never smart, so maybe you're just stupid!"

"I am not this Hia-whoever you're talking about!" Hiashi shrieked. "And if I was, wouldn't that mean I'm still alive? Wouldn't that mean you failed to do your job, so anything gained form 'my' murder would be taken away and all glory would turn to shame because you didn't bother to check if 'I' was dead?"

The man began to speak, but nothing but gurgles and growls came from his mouth. Hiashi smiled. "Yeah, see the fatal flaw in your logic?"

He shook his head and turned to his date. "Sit down, woman. I ain't pulling up a chair for your lazy ass." The girl winced at his words, but pulled her chair out and sat gracefully.

"So who are you?" he said forcefully through his teeth. "I have never seen you before."

"I am Sara," Hiashi replied just as caustically. "I grew up in the Fire Nation colonies."

"Really?" he said, trying not to snap. "How interesting."

"Very," Hiashi said curtly. The two of them stared at each other daring the other to make a move. The table was quiet, the only sound from the crowd. An eternity passed when Xang broke the tension.

"So," he said loudly, trying to drown out the silence, "I've never seen gold hornet betas," pointing to the fish swimming around in the bowl. "They're usually just yellow."

"Indeed they are," Hiashi said robotically.

"Yes," the man said the same way. The awkwardness rose again.

"So Hykiru," Lian said over the crowd, "anything new with you?"

"No," the man said sharply. "Waiter!" the man named Hykiru shouted to a passing waiter. "Cognac." The waiter poured him a glass and handed it to him. Hykiru quaffed it without hesitation and slammed the glass on the table with a bang. "I've none fucking nothing."

"Wonderful," Liam said, throwing his hands in the air. "You, Xang?"

"Just the same old," he shrugged. "I got shipped to the Earth Kingdom up north, and let me tell you, those people are a bunch of whack jobs. It's like hobbits did it with onions."

"Onions?" Park coughed. "The fuck? Who the hell does it with onions?"

"It's called a metaphor," Zayika sneered.

"No, it's called a simile, _sis_," Xang hissed.

"Oh, I don't care about your stupid figures of speech and Park had a point. Who the heck does do it with an onion?"

"Never mind. Your mind can't even grasp origami, let alone figures of speech." Zayika kicked her brother under the table. The table slipped into silence again. Hykiru kept motioning the waiters for cognac. It wasn't long before he drank two bottles alone.

"Um," Zayika said suddenly after ten minutes of nothing but crowd clamor, "I was just wondering…" She paused for a moment as if wondering if she should say anything. "But, like, who was that girl… you know, the Hi-she person? Like, I've heard of her before, but it was kind of a rumor or some sort of story."

"Oh, she was just some chick," Park scoffed. "Some sort of half-a from what I heard."

"A what?" Hiashi asked with a mixture of anger and bewilderment.

"A half-a. You know, half a Fire kid, half an Earth person. A half-a."

"That has to be the most ludicrous name I have ever heard," Hiashi snapped.

"Well, it's true," Park snapped back."

"She was basically a misfortune in an unfortunate affair," Xang clarified. "Her father was in the army and married an Earth Kingdom woman."

"Oh, how barbaric!" Zayika gasped. "He married her?"

Xang nodded. Zuko looked at Hiashi. Her jaw was clenched and her face said it all: she did not want people telling her life story like a fairy tale, for it was far from. "But any who," Xang continued, "they ended up getting caught and the guy was forced to kill his wife."

"Well, it serves him right," Zayika said smugly.

"No, not really," Xang sighed. "See, they had a kid, not sure if it was two or just the one, but the guy took his daughter, Hiashi, and they fled to Engoku where they lived until recently."

"So what's the big deal though?" Zayika asked. "Like, why didn't they just leave her?"

"Because," Xang explained. Hiashi looked up quickly with anticipation. "The information of their existence began leaking out when Fire Nation sailors began spotting her with a gang on the island. It was a big scandal that the Fire Nation government thought they could cover up, but once people saw the two alive, it pretty much conveyed the image that even treason wouldn't get you the death penalty. They had to cover their _own_ scandal up, so—"

"So _I_ killed hur!" Hykiru slurred, slamming his glass on the table. "She done gone and di-ed! It was like… zo-em-ge!"

"Yeah, killed," Xang mumbled, shaking his head.

"Well, I think they should have done that in the first place," Park shrugged."

"Park, sweetie," Lian said quietly, "you have to looked at it from the girl's perspective—"

"Well, if she was going to be all stupid and go join the street barbarians, well I say she had it coming for her," Zayika shrugged.

"No one has that fate coming to them," Xang mumbled again.

"She go n' di-EE!" Hykiru whispered. "Di-ed, di-ed, di-eeeee-duh!"

"Whatever," Zayika shrugged. "I'm going to go fix my make-up. It's hell-a-hot in here. Park, wanna come with?"

"Sure," Park shrugged, getting out of her seat. "Hey, Sara, come with us."

"You too, Kurogane," Zayika said cheerfully. She grabbed Kurogane by the wrist, as Park Hiashi and dragged them to the restroom.

Xang turned sharply to Hykiru. "What makes you think that was even appropriate?"

"But it be true!" Hykiru mumbled. "I killed her, yo know?"

"But flaunting it off? And you know damn well you shouldn't be proud of anything you did."

"See, I concur," Lian said, flattening his hair with one hand.

"Oh, what-ur-vur," Hykiru gurgled. "Yo, whait-er, more, pls." The waiter eyed him, but filled his glass. "All dat's impurtint is she's dead…. And deadf…" he downed his glass again, motioning for another waiter to fill his glass."

"But what you did was despicable! A total abuse of power!" Xang growled.

"Iduncare! Pffsh, she was hot! That o' bitch, if she wan't a mudblood, I think I'd go'n and do it anyways."

"Do you mind me asking what you are talking about?" Zuko finally said. Xang and Lian looked at each other.

"Well, it's sort of hard to say," Lian said, scratching the back of his neck.

"I don't know, should we tell him?" Xang asked Lian.

"Done, shit, I'll tell the bastard!" Hykiru slurred. "Befur I killed the sorry bitch, I raped her, no shit!"

Zuko's eyes widened in shock. He tried to speak, but nothing came. "You did what?"

"Oh, I just raped ur," Hykiru babbled. "See, it's like dis.

"Wehn I got to deh place, I done snuck in her room, an' caught it all on fire. Ionno what happened or whutur, but she just crippled down an' couldn't move none, so I…uh… uhh… opportunity an' raped her and junk."

"You soiled any honor the Fire Navy has!" Xang scolded. "Do you know you can get court marshaled for that?"

"Who curs? I shure dun…" Hykiru shook his head and continued drinking.

"How can you keep doing that?" Xang snapped at him. "It's been just about two hours and we haven't even eaten yet."

"Sure what?" Hykiru spat.

"My god, how did an idiot like you get so far up in the military?" Lian sighed.

"So let me get this straight," Zuko growled, "you raped Hiashi, and then attempted to kill her. And now you're bragging about it?"

"But dude," Hykiru whispered, "she's not dead! She's right there! She came with you! That Karen person's her!"

"That's ridiculous," Lian coughed. "Karen's not even a name. And besides, hasn't she been dead for like seven months or something?"

"But seriously!" Hykiru said. "She's there! It's her! I know it! Check her face! Her eyes, they're two different colors for some reason. Ionno whaeh, but they are. She's like… mutanted or somatt." He took another swig from his drink and shook his head violently.

"Well, it's not her," Zuko defended. "I would never take on someone like that."

"That would be a bad idea," Xang said with infliction. "I mean, think about it, several hundred Fire Navy personnel. One would think to leave now, or at least early, you know. It would be even worse for the person who brought them here as well. They would get a punishment more mortifying than any they had received before. You know what I mean, Zuko?"

_What does he mean by that?_ Zuko though. _Is he trying to tell me something?_

'-'

"Who comes with their brother?" Park laughed, reapplying her lipstick.

"I wanted to meet a man here, someone who can give me whatever I want, you know?" Zayika replied. "If it meant going with my brother, well then that's the price." Zayika reapplied her powder. "Besides, I need a man in my life that can take care of me. Like my mother says: A good woman finds a good man to give her a good life." She closed her compact and turned to Hiashi. "So what about you, Sara? I mean, you're bunking on Prince Zuko's ship, are you two…you know, 'special friends?'" Hiashi looked at her. She sat in a wicker chair in the corner of the powder room, twiddling a fake leaf in her hand. The room was obnoxiously red, red walls, red carpet, only white molding, and white doors with white chairs and golden vases and golden plants. Hiashi pulled a gold leaf off the floral arrangement and burned it in her hand.

"No," Hiashi answered caustically. "I am nothing more than an assistant to him." She plucked another leaf from the bouquet and incinerated it.

"Oh, so he's single?" Zayika smirked, adjusting herself in the mirror. "Maybe I should make my move."

"He won't go for you," Hiashi said bluntly. Zayika gave her a dirty look.

"What makes you so sure about that?" Zayika snapped. "He could think I'm hot. Who needs personality anyways?"

"He won't go for you, that's as much as I can say. He's not a looks-person."

"Please," Park laughed. "All men are looks-people. Even little Lian is. It just depends on what kind of looks. Lian is into woman like me, and Zuko, well I'll bet he's into those actiony kinds of girls. The skanky ones who think they're all powerful and strong. Show-offy kind."

"I doubt it," Hiashi sighed.

Zayika turned to Kurogane. "So, how did you meet Hykiru? He seems… interesting."

Kurogane, who was sitting quietly in the chare across from Hiashi, looked up at the group of girls staring at her. "Well," she said quietly, but with a pure note, "I just did. I knew him for a while, but it wasn't anything serious."

"So he basically invited you?" Park asked. "Why?"

Kurogane say nothing. "He did. But I think… I don't feel comfortable."

"Oh come on!" Zayika encouraged. "Tell us."

"You know," Kurogane said fiddling with a string on her sash, "today, I saw the most adorable squirrel bird. It had lost its nut. It was looking everywhere for its nut, and it couldn't find it, but it was just there under the bush. It's sad, when you forget something like that, you know, names, things or something like that. And you just keep going in circles, not knowing what you're doing. No clue. But you know what? I—this is a nice room. What do you suppose these flowers are called?"

Zayika and the rest looked confused. "I think they're Fire Lilies," Zayika answered.

"Oh, well I kind of figured," Kurogane laughed quietly. "So what were we talking about?"

Zayika looked up, then to Park. She was about to answer when she closed her mouth. "Huh. You know, I don't even remember what we were talking about. Do you Park?"

"Yea- no, just lost it," Park answered. "You, Sara?"

Hiashi looked at the three of them. She remembered exactly what they were talking about, but Kurogane steered the conversation to imaginary numbers. "No," Hiashi said quietly.

"How weird!" Zayika said. "We all forgot what we were talking about. It's weird, you know?'

"Ugh, I totally hate memory loss," Park agreed and the two began talking. Hiashi looked towards Kurogane. There was something interesting about her, something she could not put her finger on. Kurogane did not want to speak of Hykiru, and Hiashi could agree. Something told her that there was more to Hykiru than what she knew…


	44. The Parable of a Mudblood

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter forty-four: The Parable of a Mudblood

'-'

The quad of girls returned to the table and took their seats. Hiashi was about to pull up her chair when Zuko grabbed her wrist. "I need to speak with you, _now_!" Zuko stood up violently and dragged her down into an empty corridor.

"Hey, do you mind me inquiring where we're going?" Hiashi hissed.

"Shut up," Zuko snapped. He continued walking until he found an empty room. He threw her inside and closed the door behind him.

"Do you mind illuminating a candle or something?" Hiashi asked. She held her fist up and a flame ignited.

"Do you have anything you might want to tell me?" Zuko snapped, lighting a lamp. The room became dimly lit to reveal a small office.

"No," Hiashi hissed, throwing her fist down. "What could I potentially have to enlighten you of that I already haven't?"

"Oh, I don't know," Zuko growled sarcastically. "Maybe that guy got a little inebriated and he said a thing or two about the day he attempted to assassinate you."

Hiashi was silent. "What did he say?"

""What did he do to you?" Zuko said, quietly and gently.

Hiashi wanted to speak, but she remained speechless. "It was nothing," Hiashi mumbled. "He didn't do anything."

"Yes he did," Zuko said more forcefully. "Tell me what he did."

Hiashi clenched her jaw. "He might have done something," she finally said.

"Hiashi, I order you to tell me!" Zuko said forcefully.

"Fine!" Hiashi snapped. "He raped me, okay? Is that such an immense deal?"

"Yes," Zuko nearly shouted. "How could you let that happen?"

"I couldn't impede it!" she said quietly. "I was rendered immobile."

"How do you become immobile?" he asked. Zuko paced around the office, picking at the different knickknacks that festooned the shelves. He looked up at her, waiting for the response.

"It was a toxin," Hiashi sighed. "It—"

"Wait, toxin?" Zuko choked. "What toxin?"

"From a… a… from a tattoo, okay?"

"Wait, what tattoo?" Zuko asked baffled.

"I have a tattoo, alright?" Hiashi growled. "It's nothing."

"Why the hell would you get a tattoo?" he yelled.

"It was to get rid of my earthbending power, okay?" she finally said. Zuko stared at her. "I went to this witch doctor and she said I would be able to neutralize my earthbending abilities, but I had to get a tattoo with this ink. It succeeded but the only rule was that I was not to expose it to heat for four weeks."

"What the hell happened?" Zuko asked quietly. Hiashi looked away. "Tell me!"

"Alright!" she said. "It was two week after I got it when they attacked. He and this other guy came to my house. I don't know who the first one was, but the other… well, it was the guy sitting at our table. I had just been practicing my violin when my room suddenly caught on fire. I was going to control it, but the ink the woman used started to absorb itself into my skin. The heat from the fire heated the chemicals in the ink and soon turned it into a toxin. All there was was sharp pains in my lower back. It spread to my legs and up. Parts of the roof began to fall, so I kicked them away, but the pain was too much for me, I had to lean against the wall for support. I called of for my father, but he didn't come. It wasn't long before I became trapped, but somehow, he got in." She took a shagged breath and continued.

"'Where do you think you're going?' he sneered. I turned around to see him standing there. He struck me in the ribs with something, I don't know, but I fell. My first instinct was to defend myself, but before I could even hoist myself to my feet, he grabbed my hair and slammed me against the wall, one arm wrapped around me, pressing himself to me…" She choked, but continued. "His other pinned my neck to the wall. 'You're so pretty,' he mocked me; 'it's a shame I have to kill you.' I coughed and choked, gasping desperately for air. I didn't get a good look at his face, but I could hear him laughing. It was so sickening I couldn't stand it.

"With all I could muster, I struck my knee in his gut. He wrenched back in pain, while I fell to the floor, sucking in the lost air, only to cough it back up." Hiashi laughed quietly. "All I could shout was, 'You sick freak!' I jumped to my feet and ran, but more fire came and the pain just got to the point where I just fell and I felt nothing but. He grabbed me by the leg and dragged me to the center of my room and…" Hiashi stopped talking and looked away again.

"Well are you content?" she laughed sadly. "Something I tried to stifle and you just exposed it."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Zuko asked, with what seemed to be, genuine concern.

"I didn't think it was obligatory," she said quietly. "I told you only what I felt you needed to hear. I guess you wanted deeper?"

Zuko shook his head. He picked up a paper weight and tossed it up and down. "So," he started, "um… did he… do anything… bad?"

"The hell, of course he did!" Hiashi said. "I think that was bad enough!"

"That's not what I meant!" Zuko snapped. "I meant… never mind!" He slammed the weight on the table and opened the door. "Before anyone suspects anything."

Hiashi swept out of the room into the once dim but now bright banquet hall. She stormed gracefully but angrily to her table. No more than ten minutes had passed for them. But their table had apparently been served during their absence, and Hykiru, now a drunken disarray, was yelling at Kurogane.

""I fucking told you _not_ to say anything if Admiral came here!" Hykiru spat. "How dare you address him!"

"Hykiru, calm down!" Xang said forcefully. "She just answered a question!"

"That doesn't matter dammit!" Hykiru snapped. Hiashi sat in her chair followed by Zuko. Zayika was looking around elsewhere along with Park and Lian. "I _told_ her!" Hykiru raised his hand and slapped Kurogane.

"Hykiru!" Xang shouted, jumping from his chair along with Lian.

"No, don't even bother!" Hykiru growled. He slammed his hand back down on the table and shoved his face towards Kurogane. "What do you have to say for yourself?" Kurogane said nothing. She continued to stare at her tightly clasped fists. "Well?"

No one saw what happened next, but no less time later when he finished his words did he jump back from her in pain, hand bleeding. "Damn it all!" Hykiru yelled, holing his hand. The people who had already situated themselves at the surrounding tables began to stare.

"You're making a scene, sit down!" Xang hissed. Hykiru snatched up his cloth napkin and wrapped it around his hand.

"How _dare _you do that to me, you bitch!" Hykiru growled.

"She didn't even do anything!" Lian defended.

"Then how else did this happen?" Hykiru snapped.

Lian looked at the table and picked up a knife that sat next to his chopsticks. The wooden-handled utensil had blood on the top of the blade. "I think you may have stabbed yourself with the steak knife," he suggested. "When you leaned forward, I think it was positioned just right."

"Whatever," Hykiru mumbled. He stood up and said, "I'm getting this fixed."

"I think I need a break," Xang mumbled after Hykiru disappeared from sight. "Be right back." Xang stood up as well and walked off.

"I'm going to follow," Lian said shortly after, leaving the table.

Zuko, saying nothing, stood up and followed.

Zayika looked around and said, "Kurogane, why the heck would you let that idiot do that? I mean, I would have hit him back."

Kurogane shook her head. "Men like him never stop. When someone is the leader he must be followed. No arbitration may be accepted."

Park gave her a look. "You're weirder than he is," she said candidly, "and he's a freak. I mean, the moment he walked in, he started claiming Sara was that Hiashi girl." Park took a bite from her food. "I mean, come on, that has to be so silly."

"I know, right?" Zayika chirped in. "Sara, I doubt you look anything like that ridiculous shame for a human."

"I wouldn't call her a 'shame for a human'," Hiashi said stiffly. "She was just a pawn in a misfortunate game."

"Oh, that's just stupid," Zayika laughed. "What do you think on the whole 'He-she' situation, Kurogane?"

Kurogane's face became stone. "Any mudblood must be killed." She shook her head to flick her hair. "They're nothing but a disgrace to the peace that once was. That was a boundary that was broken and that trespasser must be destroyed." Hiashi looked at the knives on the table. The anger in Kurogane's words shook the knives, as if ready to spring up and kill Hiashi if she dared to make a move.

"Wow, I didn't see you as that kind of person," Park said surprised. "All in all, she's totally right."

"I go beyond disagreeing," Hiashi said angrily. "You people have no idea what I—she could have potentially went through."

"Oh, boo-ho for her," Zayika scoffed. "She was the offspring of a traitor and a devil woman. As far as I'm concerned she was pretty much a devil spawn."

"Huh she's a devil spawn?" Hiashi spat. "Well, what about her sister?"

"Sister?" Park inquired. "What sister?"

"She had a sister," Hiashi stated. "I… don't know her name, but her sister was left behind to live with her aunt, on the island she was born. You guys are always talking of Hiashi, but I never hear anything about her."

"Oh, wait; didn't she live on Kuusai Isle?" Zayika said suddenly. "I think my brother got shipped there. He said something about a raid. It was a while ago, like a couple of months. He said they were supposed to destroy the whole place. But like he said the Avatar was there."

"I thought the Avatar was dead?" Park gasped.

"No," Zayika said, shaking her head. Kurogane looked up from behind her bangs. "He was there apparently. Some chick was housing him. But then they got beat by this girl, I don't know, maybe it was her, but she was weird apparently. My brother said she attacked him, she was earthbending and what-not, but then she saved the Avatar from a burning bush, or a tree branch, I don't remember." Zayika picked up her glass and took a sip. "They didn't do much apparently, just destroyed the town and junk. He also said she ended up _leaving_ with the Avatar and hasn't been seen since," Zayika sighed, "which is good riddance to the lot of them."

"But you don't hear much about them anymore," Park stated. "Like, how old were they when the whole dad got banished them moved to Engoku thing? Like twelve or something?"

"The oldest would have been three," Hiashi said caustically." Three when she witnessed her mother's death, three when she saw her father slaughter her mother, three when her entire life became distorted."

"Psh, big whoop," Park laughed. "He stabbed her; she probably didn't even know what was going on."

"Oh, so you think her mother was stabbed?" Hiashi scorned. "On the contrary, her father cut her head off. Now imagine being three and seeing your mother's headless corpse while the head rolls to your feet."

"Yeah, but I'll bet you she doesn't even remember anything," Zayika replied. "I mean, I can't remember anything past four."

"That doesn't mean she doesn't remember," Hiashi stated. "You can never forget something like that."

"You seem to have a lot of sympathy for someone who pretty much is below even the Airbenders. And besides, she's dead, so it doesn't even matter anymore."

"Well, what if she's not dead?" Hiashi inquired. "What if she survived the whole ordeal?"

"Psh!" Park laughed. "Then Hykiru must be dumber than he looks. Only an idiot can let another idiot slip through the cracks like that."

"I heard she was pretty smart," Hiashi said caustically.

"Oh, whatev," Zayika chuckled. "She lived in Engoku. Earth Kingdom hillbillies have a higher education than the people there. Everyone who lives there is some sort of barbarian. I mean really, no government? It's utterly ridiculous. There's so much poverty and crime, I'm surprised they can take three steps there without getting stabbed." Zayika sighed and took a bite of her food. "Ghetto much?"

"Please," Hiashi mocked, "you wouldn't know intelligence if it sat in your lap and called you mother."

"I'll have you know I went to the finest Fire Nation Academy there is. And I got the finest education a girl could get," Zayika said defensively.

"Oh, what 'fine' vocabulary you have," Hiashi scorned. "I suppose you have the world's finest ego as well?"

"You're just jealous that you got second-hand education from those sad drop-out excuses for teachers over in the colonies," Zayika snapped.

"I had the best education, better than yours, probably," Hiashi snapped. "You may have had your textbooks and fancy equipment and classrooms and desks, but I had someone to teach me the why rather than the what. You got standards, I go infinite. I am not second-rate; I am just as good as you or any other prissy private school prep in every way, even better. It may not seem that way, but even the blind could see that."

Zayika roller her eyes. "Whatever," she mumbled. "If you're going to act like a mudblood, then be a mudblood."

'-'


	45. The Legend of the Resistance

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: I do miss my reviews, even if it's just a random word. I don't know if many people are still following this story, if you are, I would like to hear from you.

Chapter forty-five: The Legend of the Resistance

'-'

Zuko meandered around the banquet hall, seeing faces he knew, faces he did not know, and faces he wish he did not know. He looked up at the main table to see his father. Zuko ducked out of view. His sister Azula was dining quietly with him, no surprise to Zuko. Marukai was dining up there as well, sitting to the right of her father, who, as well, was sitting to the right of the Fire Lord. Zuko roller his eyes and continued walking. He contemplated taking one more glance at the table.

_No, that's stupid,_ he though, but his head thought for itself. Zuko took one last glance at the table, but the table has been disturbed: Marukai was nowhere to be seen. Zuko looked around to see her yellow head walking off into the nearby corridor. Zuko slunk in after her. Marukai looked around suspiciously and slipped into the hall where she started talking to someone unseen.

"Hey, you. I haven't seen you in a while," Marukai said to the stranger.

"Me neither," The voice said, but the voice was oddly familiar. "I heard you were here." The voice, which belonged to a man, sighed. "And you know I wanted to see my old friend."

Marukai laughed. "Friend? You know it's more than that."

"Yeah, true. I'm just pissed I got stuck in the way back."

"Who'd you come with?"

"Oh, my sister. I couldn't find anyone else." Zuko gasped. He knew who it was.

"So," Xang started, "what's new?"

"Oh, not much," Marukai sighed. "You know, this and that. I got put in charge of a search and destroy mission."

"Really?" Xang said with awe. "That's great."

"Yeah," she said. "Fire Lord Ozai instructed it. "You remember those girls, Hiashi and Tsuchi?"

Xang paused for a moment. "Yeah?"

"Well, I'm in charge of finding the whole family and killing them. We killed the father, and the grandparents, and if I believe so, the aunt of the girls, but the two sisters remain at large.

Xang was silent again. "Really?"

"Yeah, my leads tell me that when I sent my brother and Admiral Zhao to kill her on Engoku, Hykiru forgot to check if she was dead."

Zuko froze. He knew not that Hykiru was Marukai's brother, but Zhao had been sent to kill Hiashi as well? Marukai continued talking.

"This gang of girls sold me some information about Hiashi. Said she found her on a ship—" Zuko's breath caught in his throat "—but she wouldn't tell me whose, said it would cost more. Well needless to say I said bullshit to that idea and continued tracking her somewhere else." Zuko could hear Marukai adjusting herself. "But I just discovered something_ very_ curious."

"What?" Xang asked.

"I'm not alone in my search."

There was a pause. "What do you mean?" Xang asked.

"Have you heard of a little association called 'The Resistance'?"

"Nope," Xang admitted. "But don't all the nations have one?"

Marukai laughed. "Not necessarily. Technically those are rebellion fleets. This is something more exclusive, something more deadly, something… worse than we could have ever imagined."

Xang gasped. "The Resistance, you called it?"

"Well, I think that's what it translates to," Marukai said. "I don't know. They use this language shit, I've never heard of it before."

"Well, what is this 'Resistance'?" Xang asked.

"You see here," Marukai started, "it all began when Sozen launched his comet.

"When the war first started, many of the nations started uniting guerillas and started to fight the Fire Nation. A lot of them were captured, killed, or injured. But early on, like in the beginning, a group of fighters attempted to invade a Fire Nation fleet who attempted to raid the Air Temples."

"Was that the first invasion?" Xang interrupted.

"No, Marukai answered. "There were two invasions on the Air Temples."

"But the first one was successful, wasn't it?" Xang inquired.

"No, actually, it wasn't," Marukai corrected. "The first invasion was botched. The Resistance made a blockade on the Air Temple. Of course, the Fire Nation thought it was a peaceful blockade and attempted to shoot them all, but that proved to be failed. Each of them fought with swords, but they weren't ordinary."

"Ordinary?" Xang asked, baffled. "What do you mean not ordinary?"

"Well," Marukai explained, "the swords, according to the recount, cut through _everything_. It was a weird combination of metal, but apparently when combined, it created a metal so powerful that…"

"That what?" Xang encouraged.

"That it could cut through space itself." Zuko listened closer.

"That's impossible," Xang laughed. "Nothing can cut through space.

"This sword is able to," Marukai said defensively. "Well, actually one, specifically. There was only one that could cut though space. There use to be two, but one was confiscated. It's back in my office, under extreme surveillance. It has something else in it, not quite sure, but this metal is amazing, resistant to wear and tear, unbendable, unbendable by earthbenders, quite frankly, a super metal, if you will. The other sword was rumored to be taken by the Avatar, who was also rumored to have one of the sisters I'm looking for."

"I remember that, my fleet got sent in on the Chikyuu invasion. Sorry about not catching Tsuchi."

"That's cool," Marukai sighed. "I really didn't expect anything from that. The whole town was really supportive of the girls. At first, they weren't, but once General Tsau made the father kill the mother, there was an uproar in the village and suddenly there was a wide support for the family. So when I sent that attack on Chikyuu, there was no surprise that the people weren't going to put up a fight. I saw that coming, but I didn't see the turnout coming, so now I have to wait to get her. But of course in the meantime, I was told to kill the whole family, which included all the grandparents, both the father's parents and the mother's. The mother's parents were hard, but the father's was easy. Then there was any siblings of the two, the sister of the mom obviously easy, the father, well, I don't know where his sister went. Apparently she's a witch of some sort and lives up in the mountain. But the ironic part of this whole thing is that I haven't got a hand at the sisters, the people I'm supposed to be killing in the first place."

"That is insane," Xang mumbled. "Anyways, you were talking about the Resistance?"

"Oh yeah," Marukai laughed. "The sword's metal – the swords I was talking about – it can cut through anything, and when I mean anything, I mean _anything_. I have seen this metal in action. It can cut though other metals like butter, people like paper, and, like I told you, space itself.

"It is said that they use this sword, Cosmo Epée as I believe it is called, to travel the universes and learn from them of fighting, knowledge, and they take things from everywhere they go, and conquer them actually. Since the creation of the Resistance a hundred years ago, they have conquered as many as twenty to fifty different worlds, in order to gain a universal army to fight the Fire Nation to establish a divided, pure world. The knife only responds to pure-blooded folks, or people who bend only one element, not to mudbloods, even if they made it, so multiple benders can't touch it."

"I can't help but say that's lame," Xang admitted. "How would they even know that there would be multiple benders? I mean the only multiple bender out there is the Avatar."

"Exactly," Marukai answered. "The sword was not meant for the Avatar, or any other Avatar."

"Any… other?" Xang asked, confused. "What do you mean any other Avatar?"

"Well, it is reported that the Resistance is making a series of, dare I say, counterfeit Avatars. To date, there is only five know or reported false Avatars."

"How can they even make these multiple benders?" Xang asked skeptically.

"Well, they do standard breeding, where they have two people from different elements have a child, then their children have a child with the children of the other element to produce 'manufactured' Avatars."

"But what happened to pure-bloodedness? I thought they were all for it?"

"That is true, but those bogus Avatars are technically the lowest of the low. They're only trained to take down the real Avatar so that when they take over the world, they have control of the Avatar. It is obvious that the Avatar is supposed to be the mediator for all the elements, but there is always that one chance that one of the Avatars will attempt to overthrow the Resistance, so they make their own to control, and as far as the people know, they are legitimate Avatars, and besides, crossbreeding is only one way of making multibenders. There is also bending the universal element."

"Universal element?" Xang asked.

"Hydrogen," Marukai answered. "You can find Hydrogen in almost any element, be it fire, water, earth, or obviously air. In lamest terms, they aren't quite Avatars, but just mere Hydrogen benders. But other than falsifying Avatars and making metal that could cut the world in half, they also mastered the art of death bending."

"Death bending?" Xang scoffed. "Are you kidding me? What do they do, manipulate death to kill others?"

"No, quite opposite," Marukai said sternly. "They have mastered the art of killing, using their native bending element."

"Okay, now I'm confused," Xang said. "Elaborate."

"I have seen Resistance related deaths many times before. If you were to see it, you would never look at murder the same way again. It goes like this:

"Airbenders, which are still alive through the Resistance, have mastered suffocating their prey by sucking the air out of the lungs and any oxygen out of their system. Sometimes it get to the point where they suck out the air so much the lungs actually get sucked through with it, so it's like a big vacuum and the person ends up choking: on their own lungs."

"So wait, not only are airbenders still alive, but they kill? I thought they were peaceful?" Xang asked.

"So are rabbit dogs, until you start hitting them. But that's not all.

"The Resistance waterbenders have been known to turn their prey into jerky, and sometimes drain their blood. Earthbenders have crushed people from the inside with their own bones, and firebenders, needless to say make theirs spontaneously combust, or even freeze to death by dropping their body heat to so low that it's like they've been out in the South Pole for years."

"How do you know it's not just the waterbenders doing that? I've seen waterbenders freeze things before."

"No, these are in full firebending fights. And I've seen those sights, piles of ashes and frozen corpses, it's disturbing. Practically all of their defenses are scientific, especially their new bending."

"So now these Resistance people have their own form of bending?" Xang laughed. "That's stupid."

"Well, stupid, yes, but unsuspecting," Marukai said. "It's the new art of mindbending."

"Wait, let me guess!" Xang laughed. "They read people's minds and summon things with their minds!"

"Xang, be an adult please," Marukai snapped. "They don't control things with their minds, but rather they use mind manipulations. In reality, these people don't even have mind control powers, but mind manipulation through suggestion, brainwashing, subliminal messages, and cold readings. I've witnessed it before. We captured one of these mindbenders and tested their powers. He was able to wipe out the memory of two of my soldiers! And he didn't even do anything. He just went into a tangent of memory loss and started going into non sequitur and before I knew it, those two didn't know where they lived, their names, or how they even got there. And another time he almost was able to convince one of my soldiers he was her lost husband, and the girl was never married, not even once! And what they use is pathetic, it's not even psychic, it's just subliminal. But I'm quite amazed at what they do.

"They have caused so much trouble for me, and the sad part is that I can't tell Resistance people from regular guerillas. And it's important too, because the Resistance is way more powerful than anyone else, even the Fire Lord himself. With the total combined power of the Resistance against the Fire Nation, they could conquer the world in less than a year."

"So why don't they conquer us now?" Xang asked.

"Same reason the Fire Nation hasn't," Marukai answered simply. "They're waiting for Sozen's Comet. With that energy, they plan on taking down everyone, so long as there's no one who takes their job, such as the Avatar. And guess who's running everything?"

"I don't know," Xang said dully, "I give up. Who's running the Resistance?"

"An airbender."

There was silence from the both of them. "So," Xang said quietly, "there's an airbender, which should be all about peace and love, but instead, he's head of the most diabolical resistance group ever in existence? And these people are masterminds of the mind and science?"

"Pretty much. I know, it sounds weird, but they're out there. I've seen them. And I'm using them to my advantage."

"How would you do that?" Xang asked.

"Simple," Marukai replied. "I'm using their sources for my advantage. They have a timeline, which we have been trying to translate; it's in that shit language I was telling you about. It has the history of every single even that happened, meaningless and important. We're still trying to figure out the language. We have the basic idea, but once we translate it, I will soon know the whereabouts of the sisters. And with that, I can use my resources and finally kill them. And maybe with that same information, I can kidnap the Avatar and use him to our advantage. I already have a weapon from the Resistance that they got from another world. Look." Zuko heard rustling and then the sound of metal. A gasp echoed in the empty hall.

"What is that?" Xang whispered.

"From what I've been told, it's called a 'Nine-millimeter pistol.' Like a mini cannon or something, except smaller cannon balls at a much faster speed."

"That's crazy," Zuko heard Xang mumble. "And that's one of the weapons the Resistance has?"

"Just one of them," Marukai answered. "They also have these other things they call nuclear bomb, atomic bombs, airplanes, smallpox, and another thing they call the 'Black Plague.' I don't know what that is. But whatever it is, it is said to be very dangerous, enough to kill millions. I've been trying to figure out the central place of residence, but I haven't found it. But apparently the cave we found with all the writing on it has a labyrinth of tunnels that should lead to the central intelligence. But it's way too long to follow underground. We're still trying to find the path. All I know is that it's going somewhere north."

"North, as in Northern Air Temple?"

"No, some other tribe lives there. We wiped them out. I'm not quite sure where, we think possibly in the Northern Water Tribe, but we haven't got that far. We've stopped somewhere near mid Earth Kingdom. I'm wondering how they get though these tunnels so fast. I don't know. And it's my job to figure this all out, and I don't know where to start."

"You can try asking the gypsies," Xang suggested. "I've met some and they're pretty in tuned with the earth. You can find them in the most urban-y part of West Earth Kingdom. I've done a lot of business with them. They cooperate pretty well if you just give them things worth their while."

"Worth their while?" Marukai chuckled. "If I didn't know you any better, I'd think you were cheating on me."

Xang laughed nervously. "I assure you, I'm not."

"Well, it's been nice talking to you, ugh, it's hard keeping this all to myself, you know? And I saw you, and I just had to tell you."

"Well, it was nice seeing you too," Xang agreed. There was rustling, which Zuko assumed was hugging.

"How long have we been in here?" Marukai asked.

"Not that long, I think about ten, fifteen minutes?" Xang made another ruffling noise. I better get going. My sister's a big nose when it comes to my whereabouts. I wouldn't be surprised if she came looking for me." Zuko heard footsteps approaching and darted back into the crowd.

Zuko had nothing on his mind other than to find Hiashi. _Where is our damn table?_

'-'

Okay, next chapter is the Aang Gang. But you have to wait a bit. Signing off!


	46. El Sacrificio por los Dios

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter forty-six: El Sacrificio por los Dios

'-'

It was the next morning and Katara was wide awake organizing the room. Even though it had been only a couple of days, the room had attracted much dirt and clutter. Aang and Sokka's clothes had somehow scattered themselves meters from where their bags were and Katara suspected Momo of this doing. But the thought of Aang and Sokka scattering their own clothes was no surprise either. Katara sighed and folded her brother's pants. "How long do you plan to sleep?" Katara said to Tsuchi who had covered her head with her blanket. Tsuchi rolled over.

"Well," Tsuchi mumbled, "I was hoping you would leave, but then I figured that'd be inevitable, so I'm going to go ahead and pretend I'm asleep until you do leave."

"I think it's noon," Katara said with annoyance.

"Then tell Aang to wake up. I think he died of a heat stroke sometime last night."

"Have you seen Sokka?" Katara asked with worry. "I didn't see him come in last night after the banquet."

As if on cue, the door swung open to reveal a tired looking Sokka. "Hola mis amigos!" he said loudly. "Como estades yous?"

"Have you been out doing opium?" Tsuchi said loudly.

Sokka growled. "I have not been smoking, you pen… pendeg… you're stupid." He shuffled to his bed and entwined himself with the mattress. "Don't bother me."

"Sokka, where were you all night?" Katara asked. "I've been worried sick!"

"Yeah, worried so sick she passed out right away after the banquet," Tsuchi mumbled. Katara glowered at her.

"That's not the point," Katara snapped. "Where have you been?"

"Just out," Sokka answered curtly. "Just in the cave thing, is all. I got hot, so I chilled in there for the night. It's nice and cool in there." Sokka sighed and passed out. Aang, who was oblivious to Sokka's return, finally rose.

"What's all the commotion?" he mumbled wearily.

"Nothing," Tsuchi sighed. "Get up, we need to do some basics."

'-'

The sun was already high in the sky. The children were running around, playing games, others working, some trading, but Sokka was nowhere to be seen. He wandered deep in the forest that was adjacent to the small village. It was not easy to get there since the forest was nearly a quarter of a kilometer away in a giant clearing of nothing but sun and photosynthesizing grass. Sokka panted. He hadn't had water since the previous day and his throat was sticking together. He coughed and attempted to lubricate his throat with saliva, but to no avail. "Esperanza," Sokka whispered loudly. "Esperanza, are you here?" A violent rustle disturbed Sokka and Esperanza appeared out of the brush.

"_Hola, guapo,_" Esperanza smiled. She leaped towards him and gave him a kiss. She handed him a water skin and he quaffed down, leaving it half empty. "_Tu preparas para nuestra lección_?"

Sokka nodded. "But today… hoy, can yo teach? Lead? Lección?" Esperanza looked at him curiously, but nodded. Sokka sighed in relief. "Okay," he started. The lesson went on as it went last night. Sokka taught her basic greeting, people, actions, and anything else he would need to converse with her. It had been several hours and the sun went from directly above to slightly on the side. Orange light was peaking through the trees and the couple decided to go in for the day. Sokka and Esperanza walked around the village, out of sight, hand in hand. He only knew her for a few days, but he felt something strong for her. _But how long can this last? _he thought to himself. _What would I do, take her with me? And then what? We would have to teach each other our languages, and what if it doesn't work out? _He tightened his grip on Esperanza's hand and smiled at her. _It's going to be hard._

"_Sokka_," Esperanza said suddenly, stopping behind a tall pyramid. "I… want… you… see. _Ven conmigo._" She led him up the half a million steps to the top of the pyramid. Though it took less than a few minutes to get to the top, Sokka could not help but collapse when he made it to the top. Esperanza laughed. "You _muy gracioso. Ven, yo quiero mostrar la vista._" She walked through the small room-type cavity on the top to the other side of the pyramid. The sun was setting and the wind, after so long, was actually quite cool there. "_Sokka_," Esperanza said suddenly. "_Yo quiero decir algo_." She took his hand again and led him to the inside of the cavity. The walls were covered with etchings, engravings, and words he did not understand.

"What… que is this… este?"

Esperanza smiled. "_Esos son dibujos. Dibujos de nuestros antepasados de sacrificios pasados._" She paused. "_Sokka, no quiero hacerte en éste lamento. Necesitas salir lo más pronto posible. Si te moriste…_" She stopped talking and embraced him. Sokka, not knowing why she embraced him, hugged back anyways.

"_Te quiero…_"

'-'

"Aang, just because it's your opposite, doesn't make it hard," Tsuchi said caustically. "Earth is just the inverted version of air, like fire is water. And if water can beat fire, then air can beat earth. It's just like in that one game rock, paper, scissors, only imagine a fourth thingy and that beats rock or something."

"I'm trying," Aang reassured. "Okay, go. I'm totally focused."

"Okay," Tsuchi sighed. Both Aang and Tsuchi were getting tired from the all day practice they had. Fire was over and done, not mastered, but understood. The only problem was earth. It had been several months, and though they had lost little time, their time training was concentrated rather than watered down. Since water was under Aang's belt along with fire, Tsuchi was getting frustrated with earth, as it was Aang's opposite element. Though he had is only a few days ago, it didn' matter; an opposite was an opposite. "Just pretend the earth is Carbon."

"What's carbon?" Aang asked.

"It's an atom," Tsuchi explained. "It's all sciency, I learned about if from my aunt since my grandmother said science was for boys and poor people. See, the world is made up of things called atoms and atoms are pure substances. There are about a hundred different atoms in the world, but millions of atoms. Some atoms are air, others are liquids, and some are solids. Carbon is a solid, but when mixed with Oxygen, it makes a gas, and gas is air. So if you pretend the earth is air, you might be able to bend it."

"That doesn't make any sense," Katara said bluntly. "Earth and air are totally different elements."

"Why do you think the Avatar is so connected?" Tsuchi argued. "Look." Tsuchi walked to a pile of sand and erased what was already written on the patch. She picked up the stick next to it and started writing: Fire in the top right corner, air in the top left, earth in the bottom right, water in the last corner. "Okay, fire is hot and dry, air is hot and wet, earth cold and dry, and water cold and wet. Fire and earth are connected because they are both dry, earth and water because they are both cold, water and air because they are both wet, and air and fire because they are both hot. All together, they form one giant element, thus the Avatar brings balance. The reasons why fire and water are opposite are because fire is hot and dry and water is cold and wet. Same with earth and air, only earth is cold and dry, and air is hot and wet. But if math has taught me anything, it's that if one thing is pared with another, and if that can be pared with something else, then _that_ thing can be the other." The two of them stared at her. "Lemme explain.

"If an airbender can bend fire and a firebender can bend earth, then an airbender should eventually be able to bend earth. You see, if air is hot and wet, and fire is hot and dry, you connect with the hot right? So you connect with fire. And if water is cold and wet, then you connect with water too. Now fire and water have connections to earth, so all you have to do is in tune yourself with those connections and then you can finally get the hang of earth. Now concentrate."

Aang took a deep breath and stayed quiet. _Hook the connection_, he repeated to himself. _Connect to the other hooks I don't have._

_Fire is hot and dry, water is cold and wet, all I need to be is cold and dry. Cold and dry… cold and dry…………_ He took a deep breath, lifted his arms and swayed them slightly. Though he did not see what was happening, he heard a gasp from Katara.

"Yes!" she sighed.

"Open your eyes!" Tsuchi said to him. Aang opened his eyes to see a large chunk of rock floating in front of him. Aang laughed, swaying it from side to side, finally chucking it into the wall.

"I think I get what you were saying!" Aang laughed. "All I needed to do was connect with those hooks, and suddenly it made sense."

"Good for you, rather than chucking it, you get it. Now that you finally have it—"

"_Hola chicos!_" a voice radiated in the cavern. "_Quién quieren jugar conmigo?_" Out from the corner, Cenobia pranced in covered in dirt. Without hesitation, she dived into the water.

"I don't know what's wrong with her, but I'm going out to do some shopping," Katara said. "You do what you need." She stood up and left the cave into the blazing sun. She walked to the nearby street market, but was suddenly cut off by a large blur.

"_Hola_," said the blur. It was Agapeto. Katara had not gotten a good look at his face, but up close it was not half bad: her skin tone, small goatee, big brown eyes, but somehow, she felt something was wrong. "_Quiere venir conmigo y divertirnos._" he asked what sounded seductively.

"Hi," Katara said nervously. "Yeah, can I go?" She shifted to the side, but Agapeto had her pinned to the wall.

"_Adónde va_?" he asked her. "_No desea usted un pedazo del Agapeto_?"

Katara began to feel uncomfortable. "Okay, I really would like to leave, so if you can move, please?" But Agapeto was not moving either arm on either side of her.

"_Sabe, usted haría a una novia mejor que un sacrificio_," he smirked. "_Cómo querría usted ser mi esposa_?" Though Katara did not understand him, she felt his words were not good.

"Okay, I'm serious," she said firmly. "Let me go."

"_Después de todo_," he continued, "_yo soy rico y real_. _Qué dice_?"

"I'm not going to ask you again," Katara said again, much more forcefully, and much more hostile, attempting to move foward.

"_Usted me desea? Usted me puede tener_." He leaned in for what seemed like a kiss, or something else, Katara did not wait to see. With all she had, she bended the water out of her water skin and threw him across from her. He landed mortifyingly on his side, leg scratched up, bleeding. Katara gasped.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry, let me help you!" She rushed over to Agapeto, but he flung his arm at her, as if attempting to hit her.

"_Huya de mí_!" he snarled. "_Usted arrepentirá de este día_!" He stood up, wiped the dirt from his face and stormed off in the direction of his hut. Though Katara felt uncomfortable, she felt terrible about hurting him. The language barrier was starting to get out of hand, and now caused her potential problems.

"I can't wait to go to a place they understand us."

'-'

It was night, and like the past few nights, there was a large feast for everyone. The bonfire was burning large as people danced around it, singing, chanting, and bantering with one another. Sokka, though no one knew what they were saying, was in deep conversation with Esperanza. Agapeto, who was at the other end of the table, was shooting daggers at the lot of them, especially at Katara, who was intent on focusing on her meal. Tsuchi and Aang were conversing of the recent training session, but Tsuchi's eyes drifted to Sokka's plate, which remained untouched.

"Sokka, not hungry?" Tsuchi laughed loudly "What you do, take Liiri's advice and stop eating?"

Sokka turned to her. "Do you mind? I'm having a conversation here."

"Dude, you can't even speak her language," Tsuchi said bluntly. "How can you even be speaking to her, let alone, have a conversation?"

"_Cállese, usted pendeja con pelo verde_," Esperanza snapped suddenly. Sokka laughed, but Tsuchi and Aang stared at them, confused.

"She just told you to shut up, you dumb ass with green hair," Sokka translated for them."

"Oh my god, you can understand them?" Tsuchi and Aang said in bewilderment.

"What?" Sokka said. "One of us has to, and you guys didn't bother to learn."

"Well, it's not like we could ask anyone," Aang said truthfully.

"I've noticed how often Cenobia talks to you, why didn't you ask her?" Sokka asked.

"Okay, Mr. I-know-how-to-speak-their-language," Tsuchi said sarcastically, "how do we ask someone we can't understand to teach us their language?'

"_Yo_, I," Esperanza interrupted, "I e-speak, _su lingua_, y Sokka, he e-speak _mi lingua_, _pero_, you no e-speak, _así que Sokka es mejor,_ good,_ que usted porque_ he comprehend." Esperanza gave a smug look to Tsuchi.

"Okay then," Tsuchi snapped, "tell your little prostitute to comprehend this: fuck you."

"What the hell did you say?" Sokka shouted, nearly leaping out of his chair. Aang and Katara, who finally entered the conversation, blocked Sokka from leaping at Tsuchi. Tsuchi stayed in her chair and held eye contact with Sokka. People in the audience began to stare, but the situation was still subtle. Sokka growled, pulled away from Katara and Aang. "I dare you, say that one more time, and you'll find yourself with _blood_-red hair." He sat down and continued with his conversation with Esperanza.

Katara turned to Tsuchi. "Can you just for once get along with him? I mean really, making a scene? Tell her, Aang."

Aang continued playing with his food. "I don't appreciate you and Sokka fighting like that. It gets extremely upsetting when you two argue about the stupidest things and you two are both stubborn and can't get along."

"See? I'm not the only one," Katara said quietly.

Tsuchi looked away from the pair of them. She continued picking at the food, and didn't talk to them for the rest of the night. It was a while after everyone had eaten when the king, or chief, began to speak.

"_Mis gentes_," the Chief roared over the crowd, "_han venido a mi atención que los regalos de Dios se han enojado. Mi hijo, Agapeto, había sugerido que hacemos un sacrificio y movemos nuestra ceremonia a pasado mañana. Ha sido discutido, y ha sido decidido que nuestro primer sacrificio a los Dioses será mi hija, Esperanza._" The crowd cheered, but the four sensed something else. Esperanza stared at her father, horror-stricken. Sokka turned to her.

"Esperanza," he said quietly over the cheer of the crowd, "Esperanza, are you alright?"

Esperanza said nothing, but darted away from the table in tears. Sokka jumped up from his chair, but Katara grabbed his arm. "Sokka, where are you going?"

"Yeah," Aang asked. "What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know," Sokka admitted. "I didn't understand what he said, but whatever it is, I need to find out." He broke his grip from Katara and ran after Esperanza.

It came to no surprise that she ran to the cave. He cautiously walked inside, following the weeping he heard. "Esperanza?" he called out. "Esperanza, where are you?" The crying grew louder as he entered the cave and he turned to see Esperanza crying near the pond. "Esperanza," he said gently as he neared her. He stopped a few feet away from her, waiting for some sort of reply. "Esperanza," he repeated, "what… que is… no bien? Tell me." Esperanza turned to look at him and rushed into his arms, still weeping.

"Oh Sokka," was all she could say. "_Te quiero, te quiero! No permita que ellos hacer esto a mí. Yo no quiero morirse. Yo no deseo que ellos matente._"

Sokka could not understand her. Though their lessons were long, they were basic. "I wish I could help you, Esperanza," he said earnestly. "I can't help you if I can't understand you."

Esperanza frowned, but held Sokka closer to herself. "_Me salvarás_?" she whispered with desperation. But Sokka could not understand what she wanted of him. She wept in his arms for a while before finally speaking. "_Sokka_," she whispered to him. Sokka looked Esperanza in the eyes and kissed her passionately. She held onto him close, hoping he would never let her go.

'-'

So I just looked at everything, and I figure the story is ten or so chapters left. While writing these chapters, I've had to look back on some stuff, and I'm glad I did. I completely forgot about a butt-load of things (such as Li Rong, can't believe I forgot about that cat…), but now that I reread everything, I can revamp some stuff I forgot happened and reminisce on things I was going to reminisce on. And when I forgot about things, I seriously forgot about things. I actually forgot about characters, and how things were even written! So I basically reread my whole story. Didn't take as long as it seems, though. NEHO, you'll see the return of some characters, what happened to them and stuff, and you'll be meeting a new set of people in the chapter after the next, and as a forewarning, the next world I have reserved for a crossover. After years of debating what I would cross it over with, from American Dragon, Danny Phantom, Harry Potter, InuYasha, I even contemplated House, but figured that'd be lame. I thought from every angle, and finally after much consulting with my BFF and unofficial supervisor, link freak131, I have come up finally with the best crossover plan.

And speaking of which, I have added pictures of every MAIN-ish character since chapter one to my Photobucket account, along with house pictures. The characters I have done are as followed: Hiashi, Tsuchi (age 10 and current), _(from Enzanasoshi)_ **Arekin, Astrid, Chana, Melek, Osric, Marcellus, Claudius**, _(from Metz)_ **Hasmik, Horicon**, _(from Dark/Light World)_ **Dr. Light, Harris, Ceria**, _(from Animal World)_ **Souixe**, _(from Ancient World)_ **Esperanza, Agapeto, Cenobia, Guadalupe** _(from the Party) _**Zayika, Park, Kurogane, Xang, Lian, Hykiru, Marukai,** _(from random)_ **Touka, Enjou, Saki,** _(from Engoku)_ **Sureiyya, Gingitsune, Shiden, Doku, Kyyoku**, and some surprise pictures I kind of just threw in there for your spoiling pleasure, so you can find that link on my profile page. I hope you enjoy it. And as a forewarning, they're all Sims characters, so some of them are wearing modern clothes, others are wearing their semi-actual outfits. I did the best I can, so just use the best of your imagination.

Until next time, Signing off!


	47. Ambigüedad y Revelaciones

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter forty-seven: Ambigüedad y Revelaciones

'-'

The morning sun shone in the cave, hitting Sokka in the eye. He groaned and rolled over, only to remember where he was. _What happened?_ It was only until two seconds later that he remembered what happened last night: Esperanza had left the banquet last night in tears, and had insisted they spent the night together in the cave, for whatever reason she told him. Esperanza lay sleeping next to him in the dirt, on top of his jacket. "Esperanza," he whispered in her ear. She slowly opened her eyes, as if having the same thoughts he did. She took a deep breath, but one with fear, not exhaustion. "Esperanza, are you okay? Uh, bien?"

Esperanza said nothing, but stood up and dusted herself off. Sokka picked his jacket up and shook it off and put it back on. Esperanza embraced Sokka once more. "_Sokka, disfruté de nuestro anoche juntos. Espero que tú siempre me recordará como yo te recuerdo_." She kissed him passionately, for what seemed like her last and handed him a piece of paper folded nicely into a small pouch. "_En me lingua._ You… need… read… soon." She hugged him tightly, then forced herself to let go. "_Adios, Sokka, mi amor._" She turned sharply with tears in her eyes and ran from him. Sokka became infuriated.

"What the hell," he growled, slamming his fist into the wall. "What did I do? What's wrong with her? She asks me for a favor, I do it for her, and now she won't even stay? What's wrong with me?"

Sokka stayed in the cave for another hour or so, he did not notice. He stared at the water, not moving, not daring to go outside. He reminisced of last night, the days before, Esperanza, why she ran out, and before he knew it, the sky began to turn gold. His stomach growled loudly and it echoed through the cave. He shook his head and decided to head out.

He stepped outside in the now slowly dimming sky and looked around. The sound of a foreboding drum ricocheted in the land, no voices, no bustling in the air, just the beat of the ominous drum. _What's going on_?

"Sokka!" Aang hissed, coming into view around the corner. Aang stopped in front of him, panic in his breathing.

"What's going on?" Sokka asked nervously. "What's with the drums?"

"It's Esperanza," he panted. "I don't know what's going on, but they're in the court yard, and everyone's there, dressed all fancy and stuff, but she keeps crying and looking around, like she's looking for you."

Without another word, Sokka darted off ahead of Aang, towards the sound of the drums. The drums grew louder and Sokka spotted the entire village gathered around the altar. He had seen the altar, but only as passing glances. He never thought much of it until now. Why was Esperanza crying? Why was the whole village gathered? And why did his heart freeze?

Sokka shoved his way to the front where he saw Katara and Tsuchi. "What happened?" ha asked the girls urgently. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Katara said nervously. "They've been playing that drum for the past half hour, and no one has said a word, but everyone looks excited, like they're waiting for something."

"I swear," Tsuchi laughed, "if your girlfriend does a strip tease in front of everyone—" Sokka was ready to lunge when the drums stopped and the Chief began to speak.

"_Hoy es un día magnífico, como mi hija, Esperanza, seguirá la tradición de las muchas vírgenes que han sido sacrificadas a este día. Los dioses ciertamente serán contentos de nuestras ofrendas. Pregunto de usted, mis gentes, no pensar en este como el fin, pero cuando el principio de una mejor vida para ustedes, sus niños, y para el resto de la eternidad!_"

The crowd cheered loudly, and Esperanza, from where Sokka was standing, was biting her bottom lip hard enough that it started to turn red. The cheering died down, and suddenly the crowd began to chant.

Esperanza was restrained by two men, while another, possibly a celebrant began to what seemed like blessing her. Esperanza closed her eyes and Sokka saw tears streaming down her face.

"What the hell is going on here?" Tsuchi whispered.

"I'm scared," Katara murmured.

"What are they doing?" Aang muttered. But all Sokka could do was shake his head. Something was not right and the feeling of dread continued to grow stronger and more horrific. He wanted to jump on the stage and save Esperanza from whatever she had to face, but for some reason, he could not move; he was now one with the ground.

Esperanza was moved from where she was and onto the brownish stone altar that was the center of the stage. Sokka looked at the table and his breath caught in his throat.

That was not brown stone.

"We need to get her out of here," Sokka said urgently to the three of them.

"Why?" Katara asked. "What's going on?"

"Look at the altar!" he said violently. "What color is that?"

"It looks like rust," Tsuchi said candidly.

"That's not rust," Aang gasped.

A fire was lit in the back of the altar where Esperanza was now lying. The celebrant finished his blessing, reached for his side, and pulled out a lavishly decorated stiletto and held it up to the crowd. The chanting grew louder and louder as the celebrant neared Esperanza, who began to panic. The now four men held her down as the celebrant positioned the knife at her collar bone. Sokka screamed, but it was too late.

The celebrant slid the knife down to the end of Esperanza's ribcage as she screamed out in pain. The men held her down as her body willed itself to contract. The celebrant, without the slightest gesture of delicacy, reached inside the now opened Esperanza, and pulled out with bloody hands, her heart, giving one last beat before dying. The crowd cheered as the celebrant threw the heart in the fire, which covered the sound of the screams of horror.

Tsuchi stared, horror-struck while Katara hid her face in Aang's arms, crying. Sokka could not hold himself. Without hesitation, he shoved his way to the front of the crowd and ran onstage to the corpse of Esperanza.

"What the fuck is your problem!" he screamed at them. He grabbed the limp head of the girl on the now crimson-stained altar and held it in his arms, attempting not to cry. His arm slid and began to soak itself in her blood, but Sokka paid no attention to it.

"_Cómo atrévasele falta al respeto las tradiciones de nuestra cultura_!" Agapeto snarled. "_Esto es lo que los dioses nos han dicho hacer_?_ Usted no puede venir aquí y para poder interrumpir la ceremonia, es mala suerte_!"

The men who had held down Esperanza now came for Sokka, but the fury Sokka felt was seeping out. The guard closest to Sokka grabbed him, but Sokka fought his grip and struck the guy in the nose. The guard stumbled backwards and everyone backed away from him. Not wanting to stay, Sokka left for the only place he could think of. Katara was about to follow her brother when Tsuchi grabbed her arm.

"Katara," she said calmly, "you and Aang go back to the room, start packing. I'll talk to Sokka."

"And what, make everything worse for him?" Katara snapped. "I'm not letting you near him!"

"Katara," Tsuchi said firmly, "do you want me to try and get along with your brother or not?" Katara said nothing. "Go back to the room, start packing, I'll talk to him." With all eyes on her, Tsuchi left to find Sokka.

'o'

Though she did not know where Sokka could have gone, Tsuchi assumed where to go and followed his tracks back to the cavern. She walked inside to see the moon reflecting itself off the water. Tsuchi picked up a stick and lit it to guide her way. "Sokka?" Tsuchi called out. "Where are you?"

Her answer laid with her ears when she heard the distinct sound of crying next to the water's edge. Tsuchi walked further to see Sokka with his back facing the entrance. "Sokka," she repeated, louder, "Sokka, what was that outburst for?"

"Why are you here?" he snapped. "Of all things, they sent a heartless bitch to come get me? Go away, you're the last person I want to see right now."

Tsuchi bit her tongue and did not respond right away. "How are you holding up?"

"I just saw someone get their heart ripped out of them while they were still alive, someone I like, someone I was close to, how the hell do you think I feel right now?" Sokka clenched his teeth, trying to fight the anguish tears.

Tsuchi walked gingerly over to Sokka and sat down next to him. "I have to say, none of us expected that coming," she said truthfully.

"Yeah, well why are you here? I don't want to see anyone, let alone you right now."

Tsuchi sighed. "I came here to make you feel better, I guess, or to help you, not quite sure what."

"Listen, if you're going to make jokes, then forget it, because the last thing I want to hear out of you is something stupid. An innocent girl was just _killed_ if you don't remember!"

"I know," she sighed, "I'm sorry, didn't mean to make you feel worse." Awkward silence fell over the two again, Sokka still grinding his teeth to keep himself from crying.

"Dude, go ahead and cry," Tsuchi said quietly. "You just witness something really gruesome, and to someone you cared for. Anyone who doesn't cry for something like this is either cold or evil. And even though you're sarcastic, you're not cold. When you care for something, you care for something."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sokka mumbled.

"Katara tells me you're here to watch her, but you know what, you watch everyone. You may be stupid, but you keep everyone else from being stupid."

"What did I tell you?" he snarled. "If you're going to be funny then get the hell out of my face."

"Sorry," she mumbled. She coughed and continued. "Look, all I'm trying to say is that if you cry, I swear on my life and my family's life that I won't taunt you or anything." Sokka glared at her, but didn't say anything.

"Sokka," she said quietly, "when we started traveling, to the different worlds and all, we had to expect different customs, different ideas, different rituals, and this is one of the things we had to expect. We didn't have to see this outcome coming, but Sokka, come on, what were the chances of that happening while we were here?"

"She cried to me, yesterday," Sokka said stiffly. "I don't remember what she said, but she was upset. She knew what was going to happen and she was pleading to me about so many things. I was only able to do one thing for her last night, but the important one, the one that could have saved her……………… I neglected." Sokka took a ragged breath and continued to stare at the air in front of him

"What did you do for her?" Tsuchi asked, but Sokka did not reply, nor did she push the subject. Tsuchi sighed. "Sokka, you may have started learning their language, but you can only learn so much in a matter of days. There was no way you would have known they were going to kill her."

"But I could have left with her," he growled. "Something kept telling me we had to leave, something didn't feel right, but I ignored it. I fucking ignored it, and now she's dead." The blood on his hand was lethargically drying itself, still wet, but crusting over. "She kept repeating the same thing over and over and over, but I couldn't help her. All I could tell her was that I couldn't understand her. I couldn't understand her! _I couldn't understand her_!" he snarled, slamming his fist into the rock next to him. He broke skin, but nothing but the wall was injured.

"Sokka," Tsuchi said firmly, "you learned so much from her in just a few days, how were you expected to understand death or kill? Why would that have come up? You didn't know, you can't beat yourself up for something you didn't know!"

"But I should have!" he shouted, finally turning to her. He held his hostile stare with her. "I should have known," he said more quietly, but still firmly. "You didn't see the pain I saw in her, today and yesterday. She cried so much, like she knew, and whatever it was that was announced last night, she was horror-struck. She had fear in her eyes, and it was painful for me to see it. And not knowing what to do made it worse. I knew, I felt something, but I ignored my gut. The one time I ignore my gut and she dies. In a way, I killed her. I killed her, and now there's nothing I can do about it." He turned away from Tsuchi and continued staring at the wall.

"Why are you so certain this is your fault?" Tsuchi asked him. "Sokka, so you missed it one time. I know it's upsetting and—"

"No, you don't know!" Sokka snapped.

"Yes, yes I do!" Tsuchi snapped back. "Sokka, when we first got the sword, you were the one who _didn't _want to go; it was the rest of us that convinced you, in fact, it was _my_ idea! And do you know what happened? The first world we went to, an innocent little girl was killed. Sokka, you've been the logic of all of us, and quite frankly, you've _always_ known what to do, and the times you didn't, it was a really tough decision. Now, none of us could have seen that coming, no one would have seen that coming. Sokka, if you spoke her language, you could have saved her, no doubt about it. But the matter of the fact is you didn't speak her language. And if we were here longer or even sooner, you probably could have learned a few more words, maybe, just maybe enough to understand her. But fate can be cruel and in the end, it was pretty much inevitable. What if, maybe this was supposed to happen?"

"It wasn't supposed to happen," he said sternly. "I was supposed to save her."

"And then what?" Tsuchi asked. "Where could she have gone? With us? And gotten into more danger? If she missed death then, what were her chances of surviving while with us?"

"They could have been larger," he growled. "You don't know that."

"Yes, yes I do," she said roughly. "Sokka, when a person is supposed to die once, it's going to happen again. If you knew she was going to die, and you saved her, it would have happened eventually. She would have ended up dying or getting killed somewhere else. And you can't fight that, it's just fate."

"There is no such thing as fate," Sokka mumbled, "only people stupid enough to ignore the signs."

"Yeah, fate does exist, Sokka," she said. "It all just depends in what situations. If one was to be walking around one day, and got mugged, that would be fate. If that mugger was caught and sent to prison, that's not fate. Things you can't help is fate, things you can help is your doing. You could not help what happened, Sokka. You couldn't understand her, so could you help her? Before you say anything, the answer is no. You couldn't help her, Sokka. All you can say is that it's fate."

Tsuchi sighed and reluctantly put a hand on his shoulder. "I know right now you're hurting inside. I don't know if you loved her or whatever, but I know how hard it is to lose someone close to you. You cared for her, and that's what mattered. I didn't know her, but you did. It's okay to mourn her death, but don't say it's your fault, because if anything, it's not. Think about it, you gave her probably the greatest days of her life before she died. She met you, she learned another language, and…" She paused. "Well, I don't know what you guys did together, but it doesn't matter. Someone cared for her, and you're not… well I guess I couldn't have asked for anyone better. And I'm not just saying that, I guess."

A silence fell between them, but this time, it was not an awkward silence, but rather a silence of understanding.

"I know what your saying is true, but the feeling is still there. It's eating at me, all the what ifs are there, but I know the answered. I keep thinking to myself 'if only, if only,' but that's the key word: if. I know I can't do anything about it, but that if is haunting me, eating me, and it's way too hard. I can't believe it. I meet this beautiful girl, I had a great time with her, and in less than a week, I lose her in the most brutal way possible. I wonder if I, I mean we, had stayed back home, would this have happened? I wonder if she still would have died. But I'll never know. I know I'll miss her, but now she's nothing more than a brief memory to me. The only thing I have to remember her by is this note." He pulled the folded parchment out of his jacket and began to unfold it when a gold glimmer fell from the paper.

"What was that?" Tsuchi asked. Sokka picked it up, only to reveal Esperanza's necklace. It was nothing more than a small gold chain with a small wooden pendant with a lotus painted with gold. Sokka smiled. "Looks like you do have something."

The two spent the rest of the evening talking, talking about the past, people they knew, people they lost, places they'd seen, anything they could muster up to say.

"So you were throwing rocks at the nest?" Sokka laughed.

"Exactly!" Tsuchi replied. "Now I didn't know that boomslang macaws could throw up like that, it was crazy. Apparently, it's some sort of defense mechanism. But see, I was ten, and I didn't know about that, so when the mama bird came back, she threw up on me. And the vomit, well, I don't know what happened, but there was something in it, and it got all over my head. My aunt and grandma were so pissed at me, my grandma wanted to lock me up until the color went away, but it didn't quite work out. But it wasn't subtle or anything like it is now, it was the obnoxious neon green color, it just faded after years of constant washing and sun exposure."

Sokka laughed. "And I thought I had my moments." He sighed. "You know what's still eating at me? Why did they do it? Why did they kill Esperanza, and so brutally? It doesn't make any sense."

"Ionno," Tsuchi shrugged. "Maybe she did something illegal or something?"

"No, because they would have had that justice excitement, but this was different, this was like they were happy about something. She said something…"

"Like what?" Tsuchi urged. "What did she say?"

"She said something, crap I don't remember…" The sun started to show itself through the hole in the ceiling of the cave, turning the sky pink. "I think it was – _sacrificio_, that's what it was! They used that word to describe Esperanza, and she used it to describe us… She used something else too; she said something, about a wall... she said something about it... it sounded like mo…mor…_ moriste_, I think. She said something later on too, about herself, it sounded like what she said to me, but it was a little different, like _morirse_ or something. She said she didn't want to do whatever it was that she said. What did she not want to do? She didn't want to…"

"Maybe she didn't want to die?" Tsuchi suggested. Sokka thought. It made sense.

"She didn't want to die. They were going to kill her, everyone seemed excited. Why would people get excited for something?"

"Ionno," Tsuchi replied, "parties, end of something bad, start of something good, getting what you want—"

"Getting something you want!" Sokka pinpointed. "How would you get something you wanted?"

"I don't know, asking for it? Doing good things, karma, Sokka what are you getting at?"

Sokka's thoughts were going from a shuffled mess to a linear pattern.

Esperanza did not want to be killed…

She did not want him to be killed…

And people potentially were getting something they wanted…

"Tsuchi," Sokka said suddenly, "I think they're going to sacrifice us."

'-'

So this took a lot of research. Stuff from my Cancun trip didn't quite stick as well as I hoped, so I didn't remember what they said about the sacrificing things. Though I do distinctly remember my grandpa telling me that they would push people off cliffs and pyramids to kill them, and to be honest, that was Esperanza's original death, but I figured what would be more scarring than seeing someone you cared about getting their heart ripped out? Morbid? Yes. Creepy? Yes. Disturbing? Absolutely. Does in make good reading? I sure hope it does. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Tune in for another installment of my story, and don't forget to go to my profile page and check out the pictures. The link is there.

Until next time, Signing Off!


	48. El Plan de Fuga

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter forty-eight: El Plan de Fuga

'-'

"Sacrifice? Are you sure?" Tsuchi asked baffled.

"Think about it!" Sokka said nervously. "They killed Esperanza for no reason for what we think. Esperanza already knew about it. She was trying to warn me, she knew about the whole thing! She was using the same words to describe herself as she was for me! And she was worried, and look what happened. The same thing I guarantee you is going to happen to us."

Tsuchi went pale. "Oh my god… They're going to kill us? They're using us as sacrifices? Oh my god, we have to tell the others!"

The pair ran out of the cave, up the dirt path, towards the hut when out of nowhere they were surrounded by the same soldiers they met their first visit.

"Oh, hey there!" Sokka said nervously. "Wassap?" Tsuchi gave him a dirty look.

"Wassap?" she said sardonically. "Really?" Out of nowhere, the two were handcuffed with metal shackles.

The two were shoved in between the crowd, like cattle ready to be slaughtered. "Where do you think Aang and Katara are?" Tsuchi whispered to Sokka.

"I don't know, I can't see where they are," Sokka replied.

"Where do you think they're taking us?" Tsuchi pondered. "Do you think to the altar like yesterday?"

"I don't think so," Sokka said suddenly. The crowd stopped abruptly at the base of the tall pyramid. The pair was led to the top of the slippery stone, steep steps to the peak of the pyramid.

"Sokka!" they heard Katara call out. "Sokka, Tsuchi, is that you?"

"Do you know what's going on?" Aang shouted to them.

"We're going to get sacrificed!" Sokka said the moment he saw them. The whole village was gathered at the base of the pyramid, cheering as the base drum pounded, echoing through the dry air of the village. The breeze swayed the group, sending a welcoming chill despite the parched air. The celebrant began to talk, but the group kept talking.

"Sacrificed?" Aang and Katara said, baffled.

"Why are we getting sacrificed?" Aang asked.

"I don't know," Sokka said, shaking his head. "They probably need something, but all I know is that we need to get out of here fast!"

"But how are we supposed to do that?" Katara said skeptically.

"I know, I don't know how to bend metal," Aang said candidly. "Is it even possible?"

"It's not _im_possible!" Tsuchi said suddenly.

"But earth and metal have different properties," Katara said bluntly. "Metal may be earth, but you can't bend it! I've seen it, my friend Toru was in a Fire Nation prison and the whole thing was made of metal, and none of them could get out."

"But that's just an illusion," Tsuchi said firmly. "Metal is just a form of earth that's been purified and refined. Just give me a minute."

"We don't have a minute!" Sokka snapped. "We need to get out of this now!"

"Hold on!' Tsuchi snapped. "I can do it!"

"_Ahora,_" the King shouted mightily from the top of the pyramid to the people below,"_volveremos nuestros regalos a los Dioses, en esperanza que ellos nos bendecirán con lluvia, con comida, y con la vida! Comenzaremos con el más joven, el fabricante de viento!_" The four large looking men from the day before came towards them.

"Okay, mister creepy men!" Sokka yelled. "You don't have to do this I mean seriously!" But they did not head for Sokka.

Instead, they headed for Aang.

"You know, I'm good too!" Aang said nervously. "You don't have to do this! I can totally do whatever you want! What do you want? I can get it! What is it? Food? I can cook very well! Yeah, and so can Katara, and Tsuchi! We can do that for you!"

The men said nothing, nor acknowledged Aang's pleading. Instead, they hoisted Aang by the shoulders and held him in front of the celebrant. The celebrant began his blessing on Aang as he attempted to squirm out of the men's grasp. "Any moment you want to metalbend sounds good!" Aang shouted nervously to Tsuchi. "But you know right now will be great!"

"Hold on, I think I might almost got it!" Tsuchi shouted to him frantically.

"Tsuchi, hurry!" Katara pleaded. "We don't have much time!"

"Do hassle me woman!" Tsuchi snapped.

"_Bendiga este sacrificio como nosotros lo volvemos a usted_," the celebrant muttered over the crowd. "_Denos el regalo de agua_—"

"Tsuchi—!"

"_Y vida_—"

"Hold up—"

"_Y bendiga nuestra tierra. Con la mano fuerte, bendíganos con su regalo poderoso de los cielos_—"

"Tsuchi, any time!"

"_De la tierra_—"

"Don't rush me!"

"_Y del mar_."

"Hurry!"

"_Ahora tome este cuchillo_—"

"Almost go it—"

"_Y le doy yep corazón a usted_." The celebrant lifted his knife and positioned it at the top of the Aang's chest. Aang gasped.

"TSUCHI!" Aang cried out.

The celebrant's cold stare penetrated Aang. The icy metal cut into his skin, causing him to scream, but before he knew it, the celebrant was flying backwards, off the edge of the pyramid.

"Like hell you're taking my friend's heart!" Tsuchi's voice echoed from behind him. Without hesitation, Aang took his advantage of the distracted guards and airbended out if their grip. With one swift movement, the men's feet were trapped in the stone ground. Tsuchi and Aang helped Katara and Sokka to their feet while the others began to attack them. Agapeto was one of them.

"_Usted piensa que usted rompió el corazón, usted muchacha_?" he snapped at Katara. "_Eso es tan injusticia! AHORA, romperé algo suyo! Quizá sus piernas_!"

"I don't know what you said," Katara hissed, now secretly de-cuffed by Tsuchi, who was fighting with more of the guards with Aang, "but you chose to mess with the wrong girl!" Her flask was still attached to her side, lucky for her. She bended the water, and less than a split second later, Agapeto was frozen to the wall.

"Aang!" Tsuchi shouted to him, knocking another guy off the pyramid. No one was dying; however, those tossed off the pyramid were not coming back. "Aang, do you have your bison whistle?"

"Yeah, why?" Aang panted back, creating a fire shield to block an arrow.

"Blow it! Get Appa over here!"

Sokka did his best to fend off the people, but somehow Tsuchi forgot to un-cuff him. "Get away from me!" he shouted at them. "Off, off, off!" He stepped away from the people, shooting arrows at him within such a close distance.

"_Asgalo, no lo dispara justo_!" the chief shouted to them. The men moved swiftly towards Sokka. Sokka took a step back and turned to run, when his foot slipped off the edge.

"Son of a—" Sokka started, but was too late. Sokka's body fell forward, only a few feet away from the steps and falling cleanly off the pyramid.

"Sokka!" Katara screamed for her brother. Sokka screamed as he fell to the earth. Tsuchi broke away from the fight and ran toward the opposite end of the pyramid where Sokka fell. But before anyone did anything, out of nowhere a beige cloud swooped down from the heavens and caught Sokka in midair.

"Appa!" Aang shouted joyfully. Without a second of hesitation, each of them jumped on Appa, Momo safely in Appa's saddle.

The tribe below them shouted angrily at them, as they continued to shoot arrows at them. The noise was loud, but suddenly, was overshadowed by a loud bang.

"What was that?" Tsuchi jumped. Aang looked up, Katara trying her best to heal the three-inch cut on his chest. During the whole ordeal, the sky began to age, and the sun was nowhere in sight. In less than a second later, the sky began to perspire. Raindrops came one by one to the ground faster and faster, turning the caked ground into mud.

"_Lluvia_!" one of the people shouted. "_Mire a la lluvia_!" And as if a burden was lifted from the village, everyone began to cheer. Children danced in the falling water, grown men dropped to their knees and prayed, women cried out in joy of the rain.

"Why is everyone cheering?" Sokka asked. Tsuchi unlocked the cuffs on Sokka's wrist. He rubbed the pained wrists to regain feeling.

"I think that's what they wanted," Aang said calmly. "All they wanted was some rain. Now they have it. They got what they needed."

"Yeah, but at what price?" Katara said quietly. "Esperanza is dead now. The chief sacrificed his own daughter, but for no purpose. And the saddest part is that he felt no remorse for it, and neither did the rest of the tribe, like they were proud of what they did."

Sokka looked off the edge of the saddle, away from the group. His body felt heavy, and Tsuchi knew why, which fell to no surprise when she heard him crying that night.

'-'

"Get up," Zuko snapped at Hiashi.

Hiashi gave him a quizzical look. "Why the sudden departure?"

"No reason!" he snapped. "Just get up; we're getting out of here. Hiashi said nothing. She got up and said her goodbyes to Park and Zayika; Kurogane had left a few minutes prior. The two left the party in a rush, pushing guest aside to get through the exit.

"Can I remove my shoes now?" Hiashi mumbled as they walked through the courtyard, across the grass.

"What do I care," Zuko mumbled. Hiashi paused for a moment to take off the slip-ons she was wearing.

"So why did we abscond so early?" Hiashi asked him when she caught up.

"I have some important information to tell you," he said. "I overheard Marukai talking to someone, and—"

"Come on, baby, just a kiss," the two heard from a corner of the dining hall. Hiashi and Zuko stopped and looked in the small outdoor corridor behind the hall. It was dark in the hallway, but two people were visible in the black.

"Hykiru, please, don't," Kurogane's voice cried from the shadows.

"Bitch, you do as I say," Hykiru's voice said roughly. "And you know what I want."

"Please Hykiru, I'm begging you!" Kurogane's voice had the hint of tears.

"What is he doing to her?" Zuko muttered.

Hiashi said nothing. Without a second thought, she marched over to the two of them as it started to get violent.

"Damn it, get over here!" Hykiru growled, grabbing Kurogane roughly by the arm.

"Let go of me!" she cried in pain, attempting to twist out of his grasp.

Hiashi was two feet away, and without hesitation, punched Hykiru in the face, sending him flying backwards. Hykiru crashed into the pillar behind him and groaned as he slid down. He shook his head, attempting to rid it from pain.

"Hey guess what?" Hiashi whispered to him, crouching down to his eye level. Hykiru looked up at her with dilated eyes. "Drinking," she started, moving her bangs to show her green eye, "is dire for you. Makes what you declare less probable." She let her hair fall back as Hykiru groaned at his obvious sign of defeat, turned on her heal and walked back to Zuko. "Okay then!" she puffed. "We're going now, yes?" She cat-walked ahead of him, Zuko left behind, baffled at the sight.

"Are you crazy?" Zuko snapped at her. "Showing yourself to him like that? And worst off, you punched him! That's only going to fuel him even more!"

"Yeah, but see, when has _anyone_ believed a drunken buffoon who has a temper the size of a komodo rhino?" she said candidly. She shrugged. "But to be sincere, that felt excellent."

Zuko laughed, but disguised it as a cough. "I'll bet it was." The two walked in a peaceful silence, back to the dock where their ship laid. The two walked on board where Li Rong and Hyroki were both napping queerly, attempting to catch the cold night air.

"You know Zuko," Hiashi said after they were on the ship deck, "I can't state I had enjoyment tonight, but I can say it was fascinating, and— wait, where is everyone?"

"Oh," Zuko said, turning pink, "I guess everyone's still at the party."

"Oh," Hiashi said dully, not noticing Zuko's blush. "Well, I guess it was quite intriguing, I mean, I know what people think of me, like I'm some sort of urban legend."

"About that," Zuko started, but Hiashi cut him off.

"See, I always presupposed thing of people, and little did I know, that at least two out of every six people might consider me as a human. I mean, maybe… I don't know. I guess it was pleasant to hear a Fire Nation soldier standing up for me. I sort of knew the story as to why I was sought after, but the story clarified some things for me. It doesn't modify how I feel, but I don't fell as befuddled anymore. I guess I should be thanking you…" Hiashi paused, saying nothing. Zuko looked off the edge and into the ocean.

"I know what you're trying to say," he muttered. "But thank you."

Hiashi sighed and took a spot next to him looking over the edge. "So I've been doing my calculations," she started, "and I figured everything out."

"Great," Zuko said dully. He continued to watch the waves out in the ocean.

"And," Hiashi continued to explain, "I concocted a plan."

Zuko turned to her. "I'm listening."

"Well, first I should tell you what we may be up against."

"Well, what the hell is stopping you?"

"Let me talk," she said caustically. She looked out at the sky and pointed at a bright star, from where they were, a foot away from the moon. "You see that star?" she asked him, pointing to it.

"Estrella?" he said, recalling his Fire Nation Academy Astrology lessons.

"That one," Hiashi confirmed. "There in lies a galaxy, and that, Zuko, is its sun. That's the last planet we need to travel to, and as you can see, it's a direct line to the Fire Nation capital."

"So…" Zuko said, wide-eyed.

"They're almost home."

'-'


	49. The Story Thus Far

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrities voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Random Intermission: For those just tuning in

Greeting to those just tuning in!

For those who are just beginning to read this story, I bid you a welcoming hello! But I must forewarn you, this story that you are currently embarking on is so far 47 chapter story. If you so willingly want to read every individual chapter, than thank you so very much! However, if you want to read the story, but not enough, but you still want to find out what happens, then this is for you. I will be updating shortly, but if you just simply cannot wait to read new chapters, or just want to cut through it because you have a short attention span (that would be me too…) then I have provided this for you. This is currently a summary of every chapter thus far, so that way you can just jump into the story line. So enjoy people:

'-'

**Ch1: What Started the Momentum**: I totally added this later on, actually just recently. NEHO, Aang, Katara and Sokka touch land on this island where they're attacked by an Earth Kingdom army. They're told to leave because they might be Fire Nation, but they convince the people they're not. They're allowed to stay only if they leave first thing tomorrow. They meet this lady named Touka who offers them her home to sleep in for the night and even to cook them food. They agree and go with her. She mentions she has a niece, but that's about it. With Zuko, his ship gets a gas leak and they're forced to stay in a hotel in Engoku, and crap would be an understatement to describe the place (the man who owns it agrees.) Engoku is basically an ungoverned piece of land where a bunch of refugees live. Zuko gets a crappy room and sees a fight break out from his balcony, but no one seems to care even when people start getting killed.

**Ch2: Two Many Oddities**: it is mostly introduction of characters Tsuchi and this other chick whose name you do not know. A very obvious plot, Tsuchi is housing the Avatar group on Kuusai Isles, somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, while a mystery girl that talks like a freaking dork with a big lexicon meets Zuko. Also Zuko confronts a group of gangsters who insult him and threaten him. Though Zuko totally wants to beat the crap out of them, he forces himself away because people like them won't learn anything, even if you totally humiliate them.

**Ch3: New to Unfold**: Sokka and Tsuchi don't hit it off, because they are more or less the same in personality (I can tell you this now, they will never end up together), and Zuko gets mad at the mystery girl for getting too close to him. She tells him her name is Sara. Back to Aang and his posse, of course they get ambushed, and the whole town tries to defend them. Aang is going to be hit with a burning bush, but Tsuchi saves him by bending the fire away from him, even after demonstrating earthbending abilities. Yes, I said fire and earth; you can't tell me you didn't see that coming. She admits she's a dual bender.

**Ch4: The New Picture**: Zuko is about to leave Engoku, when he sees that one chick, who is confronted with a gang of people. Miraculously, she manages to take down the whole group. By herself. Saw that one too, huh? NEHU, Uncle Iroh decides to invite her along. Initially refusing she accepts, much to Zuko's dismay. Tsuchi explains to the Aang gang that her dad was Fire Nation and her mother was Earth Kingdom, they did the horizontal monster mash, and then produced her, but the daddy killed the mama by orders, then left, leaving her with her aunt, which is why for some reason she can bend both elements. Of course they invite her along.

**Ch5: Battle of Wits**: you are introduced to Hyroki, the weird chick's pet fire rat, black, and the size of a Pomeranian, of course Zuko doesn't like him. Then Tsuchi manages to teach Aang earthbending all fast (this was before I saw 'Bitter Work,' so cut me some slack…) and she also manages to embarrass Sokka. She also reveals she has two eye colors, like that one culture I forget which one, somewhere in Europe I want to say. The left eye is the amberish color, while the right is greenish. Well, more prominent in color anyways. And Zuko challenges the weird girl to a fight.

**Ch6: Once a Loser, Always a Loser**: Uncle Iroh tires to talk the two out of the fight. He does not succeed, they fight, and they are practically a perfect match. But of course this girl has bangs, one that was covering her right eye, which was obviously greenish. Did you see that one??? No seriously, I was trying to create suspense…

**Ch7: To Gamble or Not to Gamble?**: You find out the weird chick plays a violin type product… Anyways, turns out that the chick is actually the sister of the other chick, and her name is actually Hiashi. She's basically some sort of urban legend to most people of crossbreeding gone wrong. But she didn't even know that Zuko was Zuko. She thought he was just a jerk. Goes to show you there is very little info on this island. And then the Zuko crew gets a hold of the Aang gang, well, they manage to see them, and then they capture them somehow…

**Ch8: Not-So-Kindred reunion**: Oh, Hiashi manages to make a large rock thingy that she throws at them. And she somehow manages to get on Aang's bison (yeah, it's this whole nautical/aerial battle I have going down…) and kicks them all down to the boat. They put them all in the brig (if they have one) but Hiashi takes Tsuchi and tells her that she's the sister, because unlike Tsuchi, Hiashi knows she has a sister. And when Tsuchi is thrown into the brig with them, they hatch a plan to escape. Also, Iroh plants a deadly seed, basically telling Hiashi Zuko likes her.

**Ch98: Dangerous Game**: Hiashi has a dream where she's reliving the day they killed her dad, only her mother's there, and so is Zuko and what may seem to be Zuko's dad, then this other weird chick appears, but you don't see her face, and she says something incomprehensible. Hiashi wakes up and is freaking out because the voice of the lady is practically real. Also, the Aang gang makes a daring escape.

**Ch10: Their Escape**: The group escapes, and Zuko and Hiashi are pissed at each other. That's basically it… Most of the chapter was a long-winded explanation of their escape, but retrospectively, most of it was unnecessary…

**Ch11: Cosmo Epée**: The Aang gang lands in this place, where they find this cave with this alien lettering on it (well, to them it's alien, to us, it's just a different language) In fact, the whole place is just weird. Anyways, they see this knife type product in said cave, along with this wall that looks like a giant timeline, and it has all the nations' insignias on it. The timeline magically grows, as it holds every single event that has ever happened, insignificant or not, but it's in the secret language, but spelled in the Avatar people language (Ex, for spanish: Wiwichu a Meri Crismas an a japi Nu Yir!). NEHU, they see this sword thingy, and Aang tries to grab it, but it shocks him, so Tsuchi tries, and it shocks her, so that only leaves Sokka or Katara. In the mean time, Iroh tires to mediate between Hiashi and Zuko with no avail.

**Ch12: The Next Step**: Sokka holds the sword. It doesn't shock him, but the hilt cuts him, sort of like recognizing its owner, so now he's the only one who can use it. When Sokka holds the sword, it reveals this hidden message in the wall, translated, basically stating what the knife is made of and that it must be used for good only, otherwise it will destroy itself, oh, and that it can cut through space itself. How's that for a twist. Yeah, that was from The Golden Compass, big whoop, want to fight about it? Anyways, they try and cut through space (back outside) but Sokka can't manage that. So then Zuko and the crew come and try to get them, but once again, they manage to escape, only this time though the whole to the other dimension, but of course, there, they are apprehended.

**Ch13: New World and Bad Times**: The Aang gang is taken into custody by these non-Asian looking people, the head guy, blond, named Arekin. Basically, they're element benders too, so when Aang tells them he's the Avatar, they're all like wtf. But see these people can practice whatever element they want, and any amount at that, so the blond guy knows all four elements too. But there's this other guy, Claudius who is basically Arekin's enemy, who doesn't want the Aang gang there, but Arekin overrides him and says they can stay, but only with a lot of supervision since they're already in a war with the people across the forest-y thing. Meanwhile, back on Avatar planet, Hiashi has a shard of the sword and she's trying to figure out what's in it.

**Ch14: Angelic Understanding**: The Aang gang explains to Arekin why and how thy got to the plant thing, and you meet Arekin's Mary-sue of a sister, Melek, who I think is like 8 or something, I forget. Of course, they try and get accustomed to everything, the fact they are in a new world sort of takes them off guard. Also, Hiashi freaks at the fact that she keeps getting flashbacks of all her trauma, but she does manage to figure out the sword.

**Ch15: ****Deadly Warning**: The Zu Crew gets all the stuff they need to make the sword, and they do make their own. And Aang and Katara get waterbending lessons from Arekin, who then tells them why they're in the war (btw, _these_ people are a really equalized country), but they get a visit from Claudius who tells them off, threatens them, then leaves.

**Ch16: The Good Die In This One**: Hiashi makes friends with Lieutenant Jee, the one guy from 'The Storm'; she gives the now finished sword to Zuko who also miraculously learns how to use it. Then the Aang gang gets to hear Arekin's family tease him about his not-so live interest, Chana. But then the scene pans to Chana, who's with this other guy from the army, Osric, who's basically doing the same thing to her. They find a body, half alive, but as it turns out it's Melek, half beaten to death. So they go tell Arekin, and everyone goes racing out to see. After a few mushy gushy moments, it's decided she can't be saved much, so Arekin kindly kills her. But then he gets into this rage and goes to beat up Claudius, the guy who did it, and them banishes Claudius forever.

**Ch17: Assail at Enzansoshi**: (Enzansoshi is the name of the new world thing) Claudius is pissed, so he decides to help the newly arrived Zuko and crew. So they go to this ghetto looking place which is across the forest to get help from the other people to help get an attack going on the good guys. The king of that world doesn't give Hiashi the time of day because she's a girl, which gets her mad, but the evil people help them. While the Arekin and the Aang gang people have a funeral type ceremony for Melek, they get attacked. So they fight and manage to get the bad people out because Arekin conjures this really powerful shield that expels all negative energy, but it makes him weak. The Aang Gang leaves to a different planet, whereas the Zu Crew goes home, defeated.

**Ch18: Funland**: The next place highlighted on the tour is this place called Funland, which is like a Wizard of Oz theme, only instead of munchkins, you get more along the lines of Oompa Loompas instead. The group doesn't like it a lot. They're met by these people, Bo Bob and Mary Sue (you heard me), and they take them in. They only have one law, and it is 'You must always have fun, and you must never frown.' Also, Hiashi tries this one thing I saw on this show, 'Proof Positive,' where basically you clear your mind of all thoughts and somehow manage to see though the eyes of other people. Apparently anyone can do it if they try hard enough… But she tells Zuko while he's training, and they spar, and then someone finds out that Hiashi's the hybrid person.

**Ch19: What Happens in Sun City Stays**: So the Aang gang goes with the Funikin people to their capital Sun City, but the whole place just looks awful because everyone there is sad. The new ruler outlawed fun and was planning on extending it to everywhere else. And the Zu Crew arrives too, and they don't like the place either. They get caught by the king's guards (They were going to arrest Zuko for frowning, but he gets them with the logical paradox that he enjoys frowning, so he's technically following the law) who like him, so they invite him and Hiashi up to the castle. They have a talk with the king, but when Hiashi speaks, the king starts screaming, because apparently knowledgeable words hurt the king's brain. Like literally, enough of them and he could die. But they get help, and they find Aang and all them, but when Katara fights the king, he burns and dies because of the water, which apparently is like acid to them. So the Aang gang escapes again, and the Zu crew returns home.

**Ch20: Hôtel du Théâtre**: The Aang gang finds this place in a ridiculously large cave, because the weather outside is just awful, where the people have literally set up a city in there. The place is sort of an early 1920-ish Paris type place (they have Appa like creatures too, so he doesn't stand out. Yes, Appa and Momo are there too.) They meet this girl, Hasmik, who runs a hotel with her mother and brother, Horicon. The girl invites them along, but the brother thinks she's stupid and refuses to take part in her 'criminal act.'

**Ch21: What does Didier Lambert de Loulay have to do with it?**: A while later and a bet involving rice later (which the new world has never heard of) the Aang gang gets to stay, courtesy of the Mother (who also thinks her daughter is stupid. But Horicon made a bet with them and lost, so now he has to pay for their hotel stay, but that was because of his mom…) The place is a sort of theater/restaurant/hotel place, and later on, there's this famous composer coming into town with his string orchestra, who offers to play at the hotel. Also, Hiashi does more calculations, and afterwards, realizes that the ship is about 2 miles away from Engoku.

**Ch22: Let Me Fall**: While earning their keep by cleaning tables, Katara and Aang are first introduced to the rifle when Hasmik suspects that someone might have broken into the hotel. Aang and Katara also have a serious conversation of their interspace travel. The next day, the Lambert guy comes, but he's short a violinist, but the Zu Crew is there, so Zuko whores Hiashi out to him as a replacement. While there, Zuko gets pensive on the song "Let Me Fall."

**Ch23: Réveil**: The string orchestra is performing and Tsuchi makes a remark that one of the people looks like her sister (btw, Tsuchi does not know her sister's name). The song ends, and Hiashi jumps off stage and her and Zuko try and ambush the Aang gang. But Horicon pops up with the rifle in hand and shoots Hiashi in the leg. The Aang gang escapes, and Zuko and Hiashi leave soon after. But the audience to the whole fiasco still thinks it's a show, so they dish in extra tips for the apparent theatrics.

**Ch24: What's Arising in Engoku?**: Zuko tells Hiashi they're stopping at Engoku, whether she wants to or not. Meanwhile, you're reintroduced to one of the guys who attacked Hiashi in the beginning of the story, by the name of Doku. He's terrified as he's talking to someone in a dimly lighted room, telling the person that someone named 'Yanki' wasn't dead, but in fact, with Prince Zuko. The figure gets mad, thinking they had killed 'Yanki' a long time ago. The figure stabs Doku in the shoulder and tells him to leave. The person reveals her name as Sureiyaa, a name Hiashi has mentioned several times in the story (I just let that slip a little. Also, the name Kyyoku is important). Zuko gets off the boat and overhears a silver haired girl talking to a dark haired girl about a plan. The silver haired girl tells Zuko off, and later mentions the name of 'Shiden.' Meanwhile, Hiashi does her calculations and realizes that they will be there for a while. But then the other meanwhile, you meet a girl with a mullet type, blood colored hair, who speaks to Sureiyaa, telling her that she remains loyal to the 'plan.'

**Ch25: The Sword Shop**: Hiashi breaks the news to Zuko that they will have to wait a while, and he gets mad. Later on, she sneaks out of the boat, and goes to her old house, which is still in ruins. She finds her childhood doll, Faia, and then her father's skull. She takes both of them back to the ship. Creepy? Yes… NEHU, Zuko finds a sword shop thingy and the mullet-red-haired girl is there, selling. Iroh convinces Zuko to buy a sword cane for Hiashi, and mullet-girl convinces Zuko to buy a sword-sword (like it's just a sword), and to come back in 2 days to get it. Zuko agrees, but apparently it is a trap.

**Ch26: The Slick Criminal**: Zuko gives Hiashi the sword-cane, and she likes it, but Zuko sort of tells her where he got it, and she starts asking a bunch of questions about the person. When the description matches what she is saying, she becomes worried and leaves. Zuko goes to get his sword, but there's no one there. The three people, Sureiyaa, Shiden (Miss Mullet), and the silver haired one, Gingitsune, and they all sneak onto Zuko's ship. They find Hiashi's room, who had been contemplating everything. They beat the crap out of her, stabbing her twice, and they find notes on her desk, wondering how much Zhao would pay for it.

**Ch27: In the End**: The group of girls study the papers, but an amazingly still conscious Hiashi tries to move. Shiden spots her and Sureiyaa punches her in the stomach with this contraption that initially is meant to poison her. Hiashi blacks out. Zuko, meanwhile, wonders how someone can break into his ship after coming back to an unlocked door. He gathers up everyone and wonders where Hiashi is. He finds the lot of them and there's this big fight, but the girls practically defeat him, but leave after the rest of the crew comes to Zuko's defense. Zuko then picks up the limp Hiashi and gives her to someone to take to the infirmary. She wakes up about a day or so later, stiff and sore, and none other than Zuko is there. They chat, the doctor comes in, and she asks to speak to the doctor alone. She tells the doctor he's only allowed to tell him of wounds from that night and nothing else. The doctor agrees, and then goes to tell Zuko she can't fight for another two weeks. Zuko of course gets mad.

**Ch28: Dismembered Voices**: the Aang gang is on this weird planet that is more like a giant mass of individual platforms as land. Don't know how to describe it. They meet this wolf, but as it turns out, it talks. No sooner after, this misty amoeba appears and transforms into a girl. The girl addresses herself as Rachel, or screech when she's in the misty form, and the wolf as Blu. She takes them back to her place, where Sokka entertains himself with a TV. She later takes them to this place she calls the 'Hollow,' which is basically a rundown trailor-ish thing that has graffiti on it. Rachel leaves them there to get something, and the group begins to talk about their travels when Sokka asks who called him. The group denies calling him and Tsuchi and Sokka get into an argument when they suddenly get the chills, despite it being almost a hundred degrees out. The chapter ends with a creepy voice whispering "I'm not dead."

**Ch29: Wandering Child**: Hiashi is up and about after Zuko was gone for about a few days, but she's still really crippled. She goes to her room to see it completely trashed and blood-stained, with a note written with her blood on the wall stating "Call that a warning!" and she begins to organize her desk when she realizes some papers from her desk went missing. Whatever to her. So Zuko and the crew go to the avatar's current world, and they get attacked by some unseen force, which somehow blacks them out for three hours. Furious, Zuko goes back home to reprimand Hiashi.

**Ch30: Honest Mistakes**: So the Aang gang goes through this almost pitch black world, when they start getting shot at by these people with guns. They manage to avoid all the bullets and enter into another part of the world, only this one is all filled with light. They are again ambushed by the army, and to contribute to the light, there aren't even shadows. They are then met by the ruler of the place, Dr. Light, who is basically a smoking hotty, according to Sokka, but he doesn't do anything about it. The lady interrogates them a bit, but sees no harm in them. Sokka gets mad and leaves in a huff. Meanwhile, a lady who was shooting at the Avatar (named Cruel), confronts her boss, Moonbright, and tells him they didn't shoot the mass. He cuts her and tells her to leave. Also meanwhile, Zuko finally tells Hiashi off and kick her off his ship. She has three days.

**Ch31: Like a Young Boy Punching a Girl**: Hiashi has a chat with Lt. Jee, and she gets inspired to go talk to Zuko. She has a conversation with Zuko, who spits fire at Engoku, along with a very conveniently placed loud comment about her being a mudblood. At first she doesn't know why, but she turns around to see practically the whole crew watching them fight. She explodes, Zuko explodes, and Hiashi storms off.

**Ch32: I Hate Everything About You**: Iroh talks to Hiashi, but he can't convince her to stay. So he goes to talk to Zuko. He doesn't succeed there either. Zuko leaves to the back of the ship to contemplate everything, which he then ponders why he is somewhat attached to Hiashi.

**Ch33: A question Without Answers**: It's music night on the ship and the tantalizing music temps Hiashi to join, which they let her. Zuko of course is in the back of the ship, trying to ignore them, still debating his feelings towards Hiashi. After the song, Hiashi goes to the back and talks to Zuko, and Zuko tells her to stay. She doesn't believe him at first, but after asking why, all Zuko can manage to say is that no one else can do her job. Not being a good enough answer, he also responds that she is worth more than he thought. With more conversation, Hiashi decides to stay, but not after answering Zuko's question: "What do you think… of me? Do you hate me, like me, what?" Her response? "I thought I did. But now I know otherwise."

**Ch34: Ceria**: Sokka's frustrated for some reason, and he bumps into this girl named Ceria. The girl is basically a card, and a little loopy, but she manages to talk the issues out of Sokka. Sokka's mad at the responsibility he has with the sword and all the traveling they've been doing and that Katara, Aang, and Tsuchi were more amazing than he was because of their element bending. She convinces him that the sword makes him useful and that everyone is important. On another part, Aang and the girls are shopping around, and Aang stumbles upon a small flower shop. The woman running the stand introduces Aang to a flower, which is supposed to live forever if given to your one true love. Aang, curious of the flower's power, and hoping to find a nice present for Katara, buy the flower with gusto.

**Ch35: Death is a Gift**: Sokka returns to the group with a good attitude. The next day he tries to find Ceria, but nobody recalls him even being with someone, just him talking to himself. He asks a nearby sword smith and the guy tells him that the only one matching the description killed herself about a year ago. Sokka rushes to the nearby cemetery only to see her tombstone. Ceria reappears and denies that she is dead, but clearly she knows she is. She gives him some final words and leaves him very confused. Hiashi and Zuko meanwhile go to the world and they're in the dark world, and they meet up with Cruel, who tells them the information after being introduced to Hiashi's new weapon: black fire. Black fire is basically like dry ice in feel. After getting the info from her, Hiashi makes sure she will never speak to anyone about the encounter, and slits her throat. Zuko freaks, but Hiashi is unaffected. They go to the light, and they are ambushed by the army. They fight and soon Zuko accidently kills a guy. Tsuchi and Aang are packing their things and the see the fight, so they go looking for Sokka and Katara. Sokka sees the fight and tries to look for Katara, but a voice tells him to look for her at the river. He listens to the voice and finds Katara. They gather their stuff and leave. And when Zuko and Hiashi return, Zuko can't get over the fact that he killed someone. Hiashi tells him to get over it, while also stating she's already over it.

**Ch36: Good Soul**: The Aang gang goes to this world and they are soon ambushed by vampires (always with the ambushing…) who bite them. They're almost done for but a bright light scares them away. The bright light turns out to be a fairy. She asks them how they got to the planet, and they tell her with the sword, and she calls them cheaters. Apparently people aren't allowed on the planet, and those who are get a lot of power, and many times the people will become corrupted and turned into a vampire. The fairy takes them back to her human's place, where the girl, Souixe and her grandmother live. Souixe mixes up a special liquid designed to neutralize the effects of the vampire bite, and gives it to each of them. The fairy, Liiri, is sarcastic, and Souixe is a sweetheart. They are welcomed to stay there for as long as they need.

**Ch37: Animals**: The next day, the Aang gang decide to go out on the town. Meanwhile, Iroh decides to take a mini vacation by going inland to eat at some random restaurant, much to Zuko's dismay. They get approached by a merchant selling exotic animals, and the owner somehow manages to convince Iroh to purchase a baby pygmy puma, also to Zuko's dismay. Iroh names her Li Rong, and Zuko don't like the cat.

**Ch38: Banished**: The Aang gang meets a mink named Weosa, who's basically a friend of Souixe and Liiri, and a big sneak. He takes them into town to buy stuff, but then he sneaks them into the Queen's garden. The group gets caught by the queen and her guard wolves, and they get banished from the whole planet (at least the Aang gang. Souixe and Weosa are just banished for the year). But they secretly stay anyways in hiding.

**Ch39: Broken Threshold**: Li Rong goes missing on the ship, and Iroh gets Zuko to look for her. When Zuko finds her in the food supply closet-thing-ish, he gets mad, but the puma has a dead rat in her mouth (not Hyroki), so Zuko isn't _all_ that mad. Still doesn't like the cat. So they attempt to ambush the Aang gang, and when they do, the Aang gang tries to escape. But the queen's army comes because fighting is against the law. The Aang gang is told to leave the planets, like right now, and they do with pleasure. But Hiashi freaks, grabs a sword, and throws it into the portal to the next world as it's closing. After the Aang gang is already through, the portal freaks and explodes, leaving the Zu crew to be arrested. In jail, Hiashi explains that she F-ed up and now that world is inaccessible, which would mean that only people can get out, but no one can go in.

**Ch40: Lingua Barreras y Invitación**: The Aang gang is in this somewhat marshy kind of place and they get shot at (of course), so as with every place they've been to, they decide to go down (they're on Appa) and reason with the towns people. Low and behold, when trying to speak to the locals… they don't speak their language. So yeah. But for some reason the apparent governor/president/mayor/king person seems very excited they're there and decides to throw them a big party. Also Aang and Katara wonder if bringing Tsuchi along was a good idea since her and Sokka do nothing but argue. At the shindig-banquet, the dictator person introduces the Aang gang to his family: his wife, his little daughter Cenobia (crazy dark, but not black, 10), his eldest son Agapeto (thinks he's a pretty boy, 18 maybe? Idk…), and his oldest daughter Esperanza (another smoking hotty who Sokka falls for. I think I made her 17 or something). Anyways, Sokka's trying to hit on Esperanza, but she can't understand him. In Avatar world, the whole ship got invitations to the end of the war banquet Fire Lord Ozai is throwing. Zuko also gets an invitation, but he doesn't know why. He sort of figures that some more family oriented people would get in a frenzy and that his invitation was just to make the Fire Lord look good (sort of as a forgiving father figure to the whole country. Kind of like how Hitler let Jewish people play at the Olympics). But the expected part is that there's a plus one on the invite.

**Ch41: Las Luces de Caverna**: So a worker lady of the king man takes them to their sleeping quarters for the night, and then to this underground caveish cavern thing that has this watering hole in it where they can get water. There they see Cenobia swimming in the water, trying to catch a fish. She gets in trouble for that and for trying to be nice to Aang. Also, Katara tries to talk to Tsuchi about her brother, they get into an argument, and Katara storms off (back to the hut.) the next day Sokka wakes up alone and decides to go look for something to eat. He swats away children playing next to Appa, only to bump into Esperanza giving him some sort of fruit. Awkward silence later, she leaves. Meanwhile, Katara and Aang are waterbending in the cavern with Tsuchi on the side, when Cenobia come in to play with Aang. Aang goes to play with her. Later that night, there's another banquet. Sokka tries to speak to Esperanza again, but she still doesn't understand him and vice versa. Sokka, mad, leaves to wander. He walks around for about 2 hours before deciding to go into the cavern. He feels sticky so he decides to swim around before he heads back. Lol, Esperanza's there (don't worry, both are semi-appropriately dressed.) she gets mad, but after she starts talking to him about something. She starts getting closer to him and he's like wtf. She ends up getting close enough and they kiss, but that just gets Sokka even more frustrated because he can't understand her. You think she may just understand, because she goes onto the land over to some sand and starts attempting to teach Sokka her language. That and vice versa goes on though the night.

**Ch42: The Worst is Here to Stay**: No surprise that Hiashi is Zuko's plus one. After flipping a coin though (her, not him). After Zuko seemingly drools over Hiashi's attire, they go to the party, only to find out that the table they are to be sitting at is in the very back, almost near the exit, very far corner. When they get seated at their table, up comes this fake-blonde girl who introduces herself to Hiashi (now Sara again) as Marukai, or Zuko's ex-fiancé. The two were supposed to get married. An arranged marriage to be specific. Hiashi lols. The girl's only 17 and she's the youngest Ensign in the whole Fire Nation . Also she's a rude SOB. Later, they meet their table mates: a brother and his 'Mean Girl' status sister, Xang and Zayika (respectively); a shy tiny boy and his oxymoronic date, Lian and Park (retrospectively, that looks like Linkin Park…); and the Coup de grâce, the accomplice to her father's murder and the man who was supposed to kill her and his obviously abused date.

**Ch43: The Intoxicated Skeleton**: Hiashi recognizes him, and the guy recognizes her. The man growls, stating he killed her, but Hiashi pay innocent, pretending not to know what he's talking about. While making a scene at their table, Hiashi makes a point that if she was whoever he killed, she wouldn't be there, and that if he did kill her, then he should be worried because he obviously did not check to see if she was dead. That silences him, but they remain bitter towards each other. The group chats, the man (Hykiru) slowly getting himself drunk. Zayika begins to question Hykiru of the supposed 'Hi-she' person they were talking about, and the group begins to speak of the mystery of Hiashi, Hiashi actually curious to hear what other people had to say. Xang basically states that the only reason the Fire Nation went after them later on and tried to kill her was because "It was a big scandal that the Fire Nation government thought they could cover up, but once people saw the two alive, it pretty much conveyed the image that even treason wouldn't get you the death penalty. They had to cover their _own_ scandal up." Of course, Hykiru drunkenly states that he killed Hiashi. Lian and Xang both show sympathy for the girl in the story, but everyone at the table show distain toward her. The girls leave to use the powder room while the men talk. Hykiru, even drunker, reveals a little old secret: alongside 'killing' her, he also raped her. Meanwhile, the girls are chatting in the powder room, about how guys are looks-people and whatnot. Zayika asks Hykiru's mystery date (called Kurogane) how she met Hykiru. Kurogane goes on a tangent about a squirrel that lost its nut. When ending her anecdote, no one seems to remember what they were talking about. Hiashi does, but she doesn't say anything.

**Ch44: The Parable of a Mudblood**: Zuko confronts Hiashi in private about the apparent raping. Hiashi admits to it, stating she was rendered immobile because of the toxins from a tattoo (which raised more questions) that was supposed to stop her earthbending, but that's the end of that. They return to the table only to see Hykiru in a drunken rage yelling at Kurogane who apparently spoke out of turn. He slaps her and the whole table gets into a frenzy. Hykiru sets his hand on the table and continues to yell at him when out of nowhere the knife next to his hand finds its way into his fist. He blames Kurogane for his hand getting stabbed, but no one saw her stab him, Xang claiming he may have hit it when he hit the table. Hykiru leaves, Xang and Lian leave, and then Zuko leaves spontaneously. The girls encourage Kurogane to give up Hykiru, but she insists that no matter what she does, men like that will never change. The conversation goes back to Hiashi, each one saying how disgraceful she was. Hiashi defends herself (or rather 'Sara' defends Hiashi,) but the girls continue to act stupid and ignorant toward the situation. Hiashi makes cracks towards Zayika and her private school training, Zayika Hiashi about her supposed 'Earth colony education.' The chapter ends with Zayika saying "If you're going to act like a mudblood, then be a mudblood."

**Ch45: the Legend of the Resistance**: Zuko sleuths around the banquet and sees Marukai going into a distant corridor. He follows her and overhears her speaking to an unknown figure. He figures out the figure is Xang, and Marukai begins to delve into a longwinded explanation about her purpose in the navy, and about "The Resistance," a sophisticated and elaborate fleet of rebels from all four of the nations. Yes, I did say all FOUR. Not three, four. She goes into their practices of 'death bending' (manipulating their native elements to kill people), their counterfeit Avatars (manmade instead of natural), and their new form of 'mindbending,' which uses the art of suggestion and manipulation, as apposed to actual telekinesis. Zuko listens to the whole conversation and leaves to get Hiashi to go back to the ship.

**Ch46: El Sacrificio por los Dios**: Esperanza takes Sokka up to a really tall, steep pyramid to show him some drawings. She tells him something urgently, but he didn't understand her. In the meantime, Tsuchi gives Aang a clever comparison on how to master earth. Cenobia comes in and starts to swim. Katara decides to leave and do some more shopping before they leave. She leaves the cavern (that's where they are) only to be ambushed (again with that word) by Agapeto. He says something to her then tries to kiss her, but she water-slaps him. She freaks and apologizes, but he's mad and says something, then leaves. Later that night, Sokka tells the other characters that he is learning the other language. Esperanza and Tsuchi sort of bicker. Then the Master-king man makes a large announcement to the crowd. Everyone seems to be happy, but Esperanza isn't. In fact, she runs from the banquet in tears. Sokka follows her (guess where???) and he tries to comfort her the best he can, but she asks him a favor, but still, he cannot understand.

**Ch47: Ambigüedad y Revelaciones**: The next morning, Sokka wakes up in the cave next to Esperanza (hEllo…). She wakes, makes an extremely emotional goodbye and hands him a note, which she manages to tell him to read. In a huff, she leaves. Sokka spends most of the day in the cave, frustrated that he can't understand what she's saying. Towards sundown, Sokka gets crazy hungry and decides to grab a bite to eat and find Esperanza. Upon going out he is greeted to the beat of a drum. He follows the sound, met by Katara, Aang and Tsuchi, all wondering what is going on. They see the entire village out surrounding a copper colored alter where a group of men are now escorting Esperanza. She is weeping, but the people are overjoyed and not violent kind of overjoyed. The Aang gang tries to figure out what's going on. Suddenly it hits them. The alter isn't actually copper. The group of men escorting Esperanza situates her on the table, where a strange man seemingly blesses her, then takes out a knife and cuts her chest open, and takes out her heart. The people cheer, Aang, Katara, and Tsuchi cry, and Sokka storms the stage, screaming at the people. The people still don't understand him. Sokka leaves (guess where NOW…), and Katara and Aang decide to leave as soon as they can. Tsuchi goes to talk to him, but Katara says no because she'll just make it worse. Tsuchi convinces her to let her talk to him. Tsuchi talks to Sokka, and manages to calm him after a while. The two start talking of different things (you find out why her hair's that emerald-ish color) and soon Sokka begins to wonder why they would spontaneously and gladly kill Esperanza. Tsuchi doesn't know but Sokka begins to wonder even more because he distinctly remembers that her words described both him and her. After pondering between the both of them, Sokka realizes: Esperanza was a sacrifice, and they're next.

**Ch48: El Plan de Fuga**: Tsuchi freaks and the two go to tell the others, but they're stopped by the army of men. The lot of them is taken up to the pyramid where the people performing the ceremony from yesterday are. Sokka tells Katara and Aang what's going on and the two freak. Tsuchi convinces them that she can bend the metal shackles they have on (there are shackles, yes), but Katara tells her it's impossible. She tries anyways, while the people are now taking Aang, getting ready to throw him down the pyramid. In the knick of time, Tsuchi bends the cuffs off, and saves Aang from the guys. She unlocks them all and a fight breaks out. Aang, lucky for him has his bison whistle on him. He blows it, Appa comes and they manage to leave, but as they're leaving, clouds appear and it soon starts to rain. The village people begin to cheer, everyone dancing in the rain. That answers their question as to why the people needed sacrifices, but they are still upset that Esperanza is dead, especially Sokka, who Tsuchi hears crying that night. In the Avatar world, Zuko and Hiashi leave the party, but they hear a small commotion from one of the quads outside. They see Hykiru forcing himself onto Kurogane, who is protesting his advances. Hiashi goes up to Hykiru and punches him in the face, quietly revealing to him that she is indeed Hiashi, and that no one will ever believe a drunk. He groans in defeat before passing out. The duo finally heads back to the ship (they are alone. Zuko's embarrassed, but Hiashi seems unfazed). She tells him of the next place they should be going, a star right next to their moon which holds a galaxy, linear to the Fire Nation capital.

That people, is all that you need to know about this story! Stay tuned in for new chapters! Until next time, Signing Off!


	50. Crash

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's Note: Okay, I don't know if anyone's still reading, but I'm calling out to you few readers: **I need voice actors**! Okay, let me clarify though: When I finish a story (I've only finished one) at the end, I make credits, which have all the voice actors, music (sort of…) where I got the ideas for some of the characters, so on, and in with the voice actors, I include the wannabe voice actors for any original characters I might have made up. **So if you have any ideas for what person you imagine is speaking for a character I made up** (like for me, I see Mila Kunis playing the voice of Marukai or Rachael MacFarlane for Hiashi.) So send in your voice ideas, maybe? Don't matter who it is. Thanks if anyone's reading this.

(Remember full dialogued italics means a different language)

Also, I changed my mind about the whole crossover thing. After serious discussion with my bff Miss Link Freak and meh sister, I have decided to just hack off whatever I had planed and go a totally different route… well, not totally different. Just no more crossovers… NEHU, on with the story.

Chapter forty-nine: Crash

'-'

The cool, but still stuffy night air relaxed the group, but Sokka was still silent. He had not talked since they had left the other world, spending most of his time by himself, and if not by himself, usually ignoring the others in the group. Most of their words of comfort went through one ear and out the other and it always ended the same: Sokka would either turn away or move entirely. After a while, the group gave up completely. Sokka's negativity spread to Aang and Katara, but not to Tsuchi, who, even though she was still trying to help Sokka, was still obsessed with her newly found metalbending.

"They were all like, bam! And I was like heck no!" Tsuchi bragged, mocking a fight while on Appa. The skies were fairly clear and the desert they seemed to be traveling in was nice. There was a small town up ahead from what they saw, but it was too far away to tell, mostly just a small ball of light in the distance. "But I totally smoked them," she sneered, molding the shackles she still held onto into a disk. "It's because I'm cool like that." She spun the medium-sized disk on her finger above her head.

"Tsuchi, we know, we were there," Katara sighed.

"Yeah, but see, it's not like bending water where it's just water. Metal is like the god of all earth," Tsuchi rolled her eyes. "What can you do with water? There's ice, there's water, then there's steam. It's not like it's hard."

"And earth is so hard?" Katara snapped. "You can get dirt anywhere. Just look under your shoe."

"Calm yourself," Tsuchi scoffed. "I'm not saying earthbending is hard, just metal is. I mean, when you can bend syrup _then_ I'd say dang, but other than that, you really don't understand." Tsuchi grabbed the edges of the disks and flattened them, now making it half the size of Appa's saddle. "I'm just saying it's freaking awesome! Watch this!" without a moment to spare, she lit the edges of her newly made disk on fire and threw it in front of Appa, Aang having to duck to miss the flaming disk. "Great job disk, now return to me!" she shouted towards the metal disk, but it continued to move away from them at a rapid pace.

"What are you doing?" Katara mocked. "I don't think it's responding to you."

"Okay, I don't have superpowers… Yet," she sighed. "I forget that I have to be actually touching the metal to bend it."

"So would you like us to go down and get it?" Aang asked, not angry, but the sound of exasperation was cleverly hidden. Tsuchi frowned.

"No, I'm good," she sighed. She plopped herself down on the saddle and laid sprawled-eagle. "What time is it… scratch that, when are we landing?"

"I don't know," Aang sighed. "I think we should go to into town, see if we can find a place to stay."

"What's wrong with the desert?" Katara asked. "We slept in deserts all the time back home."

"Yeah, but I don't feel like sleeping in the desert," Aang said curtly.

"Yes you do," Katara frowned. "You've always liked sleeping outside."

"But Appa needs some food and I want to see if we can get him something," Aang said, again curtly.

"Guy, are you okay?" Tsuchi asked. "You're off."

"It's nothing," he sighed, directing Appa downwards. "We'll sleep in the desert tonight, okay?" The group landed at the edge of a distant house, though dimly lit, still quiet and enclosed with a wooden fence.

"Do you think anyone lives there?" Katara asked as the group jumped off Appa, all expect Sokka who was still sulking.

"Maybe if we ask nice enough, they'll give us a place to sleep," Tsuchi suggested.

"I doubt we should bother them," Katara said. "It's really dark and the neighborhood is dark. I think people are sleeping."

"We'll just ask tomorrow," Aang started, but his words barely left his mouth when the neighboring house suddenly became alive.

"_Janis, I saw it_!" a voice said loudly. "_It shot out of the sky and it crashed somewhere over there_!"

"_David, it's late_!" another voice hissed. "_I'm tired and I have to go to bed. Why are you dragging me out here_?"

"_I saw something_! _I think it was something from space_!" the first voice, a male voice exclaimed.

"_You keep telling yourself that_," the voice yawned. "_I have to get up for work tomorrow. You keep looking for whatever you want. I'm going to sleep_."

"_But Janis_—"

"_David, you may not have things to do tomorrow, but I do. Good night_." There were footsteps then a sliding noise along with the sound of a door closing. There was silence from the house and silence from the group, wondering whether or not to move, or even make a sound. The group attempted to give hand and body signals, as to whether or not they should investigate the noise, but each silently agreed that nothing should be said. Instead, they packed up quietly and tried to leave when the voice from the other side of the fence said something else.

"_I know I saw something and I know it. Come on, Bo. I saw something, and I'm going to prove it._"

The house became silent again and rather than waiting, the team hopped on Appa and headed towards the mountain, instead of waiting for them to return. "I don't know what that's about," Katara sighed, "but let's not get that close again."

"This is going to be stressful," Aang groaned, finally landing on a mountain base, far away from the small village.

"Why would you say that?" Tsuchi asked, slipping herself off Appa.

"Well, because, didn't you hear them?" he replied anxiously. "They don't speak our language! This is just like the last place we went to! And what if the exact thing happens here as it did over there? What are we going to do?"

"Aang, what are the chances of that happening twice?" Katara said, trying to console him. "I doubt they're going to try and sacrifice _us_ twice in one place. I mean, it only happened once, out of how many worlds? Quite a number of them. And to happen twice in the same place would be almost impossible."

"I hate you all," Sokka, out of nowhere, snarled at the group. No one had seen Sokka get off Appa, so when he was off the flying bison, and even talking to them, the group was astonished.

"Sokka, what do you mean?" Katara asked, but their rare experience with Sokka was short lived. Instead, he grabbed his boomerang and the knife and simply left, walking away into the mountains. Katara was ready to chase her brother, but Tsuchi held her arm out.

"Just let him go," Tsuchi muttered. "He's mad and can attack you. And even if you manage to stop him, that's just going to make him madder."

"But he's my brother!" Katara snapped. "I need to make him feel better!"

"Katara, listen to me!" Tsuchi retorted, now grabbing Katara by the shoulders. "You don't understand what he's going through, so you can't possibly know what he's thinking!"

"I think I do!" Katara barked. "I lost my mother!"

"And so did he! He lost his mother _and_ someone he loved! You can't possibly compare the two together!"

"I know how he's feeling!" Katara growled. "Now let me pass!"

"Katara, maybe—" Aang tried to speak, but Tsuchi spoke over him.

"Katara, you and your brother are two totally different people! You may know what he's going though, but you don't know how he feels! No one but he knows! And you can't go over there with optimism and pretend everything's going to be alright!"

"Just because your own sister won't listen to you, doesn't mean my brother has to be the same way." Katara let her words slip too soon. Tsuchi let her arms drop and took several steps backwards.

"Excuse me?" she whispered, unsure if what Katara said was actually Katara. Even Aang was bewildered at her words, originally trying to split the two up, but now interested in Katara's explanation.

"Tsuchi, I didn't mean it that way," Katara apologized. "What I meant to say was—" Tsuchi laughed.

"Oh no, Katara," Tsuchi sneered, "there is no 'what I meant to say.' There's truth behind _every _word said, and you think my sister won't listen to me." Katara did not respond. Tsuchi laughed again. "No, see, here's the thing: I know what you're saying is true, and to be quite honest, I don't care. But for you to even dare use that as a defense as to why your own brother won't speak to you… that is pathetic! And you know why?"

"Tsuchi, I'm—"

"No! You're going to listen to what I have to say! The only reason why it's pathetic is because me and my sister haven't seen each other in, what, 13, 14 years? My sister is FUCKED up in the head! It's been so long, hell, I don't know her name! Yeah, you say she doesn't listen to me, but what's your excuse? You've known your brother all your life and you should know his personality, and he still doesn't listen to you! So the next time you decide to use the whole 'sister' argument on me, why don't you try thinking about what you say before you say it, huh? To save yourself and myself some time." She walked away to the back of Appa to begin unloading their camping gear. Katara turned to Aang and heaved a large sigh.

"Aang, am I a bad person for what I said?" Katara asked quietly.

"No, you're not," he replied, trying his best to sound like a good guy. "People make mistakes is all."

"Yes, but that was uncalled for, and she's right," she replied, attempting to unhook her own stuff from Appa. "I mean, what right do I have to say anything towards her and her sister?"

"Katara," Aang said with as much comfort as possible, placing a hand on her shoulder, "it's okay. Everyone makes mistakes." He wanted to hug her, but he restrained himself.

"Thank you Aang," Katara replied, as if reading his mind, hugging him, his face now flushing. "I know you didn't say much, but it actually made me feel a little better." She let go and continued unpacking, Aang, still wishing she would hug him again.

'-'

"You're certain that's where they are?" Zuko asked her again, for the thousandth time.

"Yes, Zuko, I am most definite that is where they are," Hiashi groaned, rolling her eyes and wishing he would believe her. "I checked and rechecked, and I have to ask you, isn't Sozen's Comet pending in a couple of days anyways? So why would they take any longer than they need?"

"I'm just having a hard time…" Zuko started, but he cut himself off.

"It's already here," Hiashi finished. "It's already at this juncture and you feel like you haven't accomplished much, I know. I feel the same way."

"No, you don't," Zuko said quietly, overlooking the ship towards the one place he had once called home. "You don't know how I feel."

"Zuko, you're home. You were sent to find the Avatar, but you have yet to apprehend him. He keeps slipping out of your hand no matter how adjacent you get. I could only imagine how you must feel." She stretched herself and took the spot next to him on the ledge. "They're right there. We can get them. We just need to—"

"What's with all this _we_ stuff?" he snapped, walking away from the edge. "This is my job, not yours."

"Zuko, the last time I checked, I'm trying to help you!" She slipped off the edge and walked towards him.

"Yeah, but this isn't a _we_ effort! It's just me!"

"No, it's the both of us! What are you talking about, just you?"

"It's my job to catch the Avatar, and not ours! So just leave me alone and let me—"

"Zuko, look at me!" Hiashi snapped, grabbing his chin and forcing his face to look at her. "I'm here to help you! And no matter what idiotic thing you may say, I'm still here, aren't I? No matter how many times you tried to kick me off or how many times I decided to leave you, I nor none or your crew is leaving you. Not now, not when you're so close. You have a mission and I'm going to be at your side, you understand?"

Zuko did not reply right away, instead he grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand off his face. "It's still me, not we."

"No, it's still we," she said finally, pulling her wrist from his grasp. "Don't forget that," she heaved and walked to look over the edge. "Do you have a plot? What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," he mumbled, now taking the spot next to her. "I can't think of anything."

"Well," she started, grabbing the edge of the moving ship and executing a handstand, "anything as of right now sounds good to me."

"How long do we have?" he asked, looking at her stupidity as she began treating the edge as a balance beam.

"Well, for them, they have about 4 days, but for us, we have about 5. Since they're close, they move more or less the same way. They're not going to be long."

"How long is long?" he asked, still watching her balance on the side of the moving ship.

"I just told you," she sighed. She straightened herself out into a standing position with her hands up. "But we need a plan of attack." Hiashi flung herself forward in an attempted front flip. She landed almost gracefully and into a handstand but snagged her fingers into several locks of her fading scarlet hair. "Shit!" she cried, nearly slipping off the edge and into the water, but with quick reflexes Zuko's hand darted out and grabbed for Hiashi's wrist.

"Hang on, I'll pull you up!" he anxiously said to her, grabbing her arm with his other hand to pull her up.

"Any time soon, Zuko," she said blandly, but with much apprehension in her voice. Zuko quickly pulled her arm up and hooked her around the waist, pulling her over the edge and back on the ship.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he spat. 'You could have killed yourself!"

"God, damn! Thanks for saving me, but you don't have to reprimand me," she snapped back. "Umm," she started again, turning her head away from Zuko, "would you mind letting me go?" Zuko looked down to see his arm was still tightly locked on her waist. With embarrassment, he quickly let go. "Yeah," she said awkwardly, straightening out her awry shirt. "Anyways, I know where they might enter."

"What do you mean?" he asked swiftly, forgetting he was embarrassed. "Where are they going to enter?"

"Somewhere over there." She pointed back towards the island, up near the castle Zuko had once called home.

"Okay and how do you suppose we get there?" he asked sarcastically. "I'm pretty sure just walking up to them and saying, 'Oh, we're trying to catch the Avatar, can we go here, please?' isn't going to cut it."

"You know full well I know that," she glared. "You don't understand what I'm trying to get at."

"And what is that?" he snapped.

"Okay, this is sort of what I had planned: one of us departs to the other world, over there, and we sort of funnel the Avatar and his group. We're never able to catch them in that world because they always somehow manage to obtain support from the locals. So while one of us rounds them up, then they're sure to come through this direction. So when they try to escape to our world, the other manages to get them from this direction. Understand what I'm saying?"

"Of course I do! But even if I understand, how do you expect us to get onto Fire Nation land without so much as a threat, or even arrest!"

"I've been doing it for years, Zuko," she groaned at his stubbornness. "If you can manage not drawing so much attention to yourself then maybe you can keep under the radar for the time being until we can usher them into the right direction."

Zuko was silent for the time being, but he knew she was right. There was a job that needed to be done and if he could just manage to stay quiet for a few days then there would be no need to worry.

There was just one question: who would go, and who would stay?

'-'

A very dull chapter, yes indeed. It's been a very long time and I have yet to get back into the groove of things, so cut me some slack. I did a lot of editing, plus most of this chapter is filled with writer's block hoopla. So it may be a while before things get back to normal. Also, I've been watching info on YouTube about the upcoming Avatar movie… And I have to say… well, I won't say because little ears just may bring said information back to people who shouldn't hear it. Anyways, in a gist, I can't wait for the movie to come out. So until next time, Signing Off.


	51. Only the Beginning

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's Note: Okay, I don't know if anyone's still reading, but I'm calling out to you few readers: **I need voice actors**!

I never really gave you time to respond anyways… On with the fic.

Chapter fifty: Only the Beginning

'-'

"_I knew I saw something!_" a voice shouted. It was the middle of the night and dawn was only an hour away when the gang was suddenly awoke by the shouts of someone not from their group. Aang was the first to jump to his feet, quickly followed by Katara.

"Who are you!" Aang quickly asked, grabbing his staff and holding it in front of him, ready to attack. "You're not going to get us!"

"No, Aang, wait," Katara intervened, making her way past Appa and next to Aang. "I don't think he's here to attack us."

And indeed, the teen did not look vicious. He was simple looking, wearing nothing but tanned colored pants, a collared shirt under a blue vest and brown shoes to match. He looked nothing like the vicious people they had met before, but his endomorph exterior provided another message. Along side was what looked like a light brown dog, fairly large, but still smaller than the human, who had not moved since Aang spoke.

"What's your name?" Katara asked nicely, but the boy did not respond right away. "What's your name?" she repeated, but his expression only changed.

"_I come in peace_," the teen said slowly. "_Are you from space_?"

"I think this world's got some mental problems," Tsuchi whispered, who was now at Aang's side.

"_From space_?" the guy asked again, this time pointing up to the stars. "_Are you_," he pantomimed, "_from space_?"

"Does he want us to go up?" Katara asked. Tsuchi's brow furrowed.

"I have no idea," Aang whispered back. The boy continued motioning to them, first pointing to them and then to the sky. The lot could tell he was getting frustrated.

"_Are you guys from space_?" he asked louder as if that would convey his message.

"Yes," Sokka said suddenly, nodding his head vigorously. "The boy's eyes widen as he stumbled backwards, even the group taken aback. "You three are horrible at this," he said roughly, approaching the guy. "He's asking if we're not from here." He walked over to the teen and began talking to him, not actually, but the flailing of arms and movement did pass as a conversation.

"Are you serious?" Tsuchi hissed. "I can't believe he won't say ten words to us, but he'll carry on a conversation with a complete stranger?"

"Be happy that's he's actually talking!" Katara grumbled. "You wanted to ignore him."

"And we did, and now he's talking," Tsuchi replied. "He may think we're idiots, but he's talking."

"Shush, you guys," Aang whispered. "I'm trying to listen."

"Listen to what?" they both asked, but Aang did not respond. Instead they decided to watch Sokka and the new guy flail their limbs, looking ridiculous trying hard to understand each other. It was about an hour or an hour and a half before the two of them awkwardly said their good byes and the boy left with his dog, riding away on a strange contraption with two wheels.

"So what did he say?" Katara asked when Sokka returned. Sokka still looked angry, but less so than he did earlier.

"His name is David Miller; he was the one who lived in the house we were near. He's coming back because he wants to know what language we're speaking," Sokka responded curtly.

"You got all of that from just simple arm movements?" Aang asked in amazement. "How did you manage that?"

"You guys act as if it's hard," he groaned. "He looked excited when I showed him a pamphlet I found in one of the Earth Kingdom villages, so he took that to see if it matched with anything he owned."

"Are you sure he's not just going to take it and leave, like he's stealing something from us?" Tsuchi asked.

"Doubt it," he sighed histrionically. "He seems very excited to know we're not from here, so of course he's going to return. That right there is just common sense."

"Okay" Aang said with confusion. "Do you at least know what this place is called?"

Sokka twisted his face in a pensive motion. "You know, I didn't ask. Maybe when he figures out what language we speak I can manage to ask him."

"So with all that crazy pantomiming, you couldn't figure out where we are?" Aang had to ask.

"I don't see you managing to successfully mime that we got here by a knife," he snapped.

"Sokka, calm down," Katara intervened. "He was just asking."

"Well, one of us needs to know what we're doing, and I guess it has to be me," Sokka mumbled in reply. There was another awkward silence that fell on the group as Sokka decided to isolate himself once again on Appa.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry," Aang said loudly to distract the group from their anger towards each other. "Can we get something to eat?"

"Huh?" Tsuchi responded in confusion. "Oh, yeah, whatever." She and Katara managed to collaborate in making the boys breakfast, Appa and Momo having to wait since there was no food for them, but the animals did not mind, merely looking about at what little nearby foliage was around. The girls had little to work with, only some fruits the villagers had given them the last time and even what appeared to be jerky from a world they visited prior. But they each ate and no more than several hours later when the sun was almost reaching the sky the boy returned on his two-wheeled contraption, the dog at his side. Sokka slipped down from Appa, still convinced that he was the only one who could communicate with the new person.

"_Okay_," the teen said ineffectively, "_I have some books, a map of the world, an astrological chart I made, and some random things I managed to find that were in different languages, and a note the Asian lady in town wrote for me, so whatever you recognize, just tell me._" The teen pulled the black messenger bag he was wearing off his shoulder and dumped the contents on the floor. Several papers and books fell on the dirt floor and created a red cloud. Sokka beckoned the other three over as he picked up one of the books and started flipping through it.

"What are you doing?" Aang had to ask.

"I already told you, he wants to know what language we speak," he groaned in reply. "Pick up something and see if you can find anything that matches."

The last three exchanged looks but decided if the other teen was not protesting, then neither should they. They picked up the books that were now covered in dust and began flipping through to see if they recognized anything.

"I don't recognize any of this," Katara said with a squinted face. "What are these things, words?"

"The last world wrote in this same way," Sokka muttered, but Katara was not paying attention.

"I like these words," Aang said calmly, rotating the book in order to figure out how to hold it. "I haven't seen this kind of language, so it's kind of cool."

"And what are these?" Tsuchi inquired with more confusion, pulling at a piece of paper with dots and lines across it. "It's like some drawing by a kid with psychological problems."

"That's an astronomy chart," Aang replied, mentally questioning why she would be confused at such a simple thing.

"Hey, you guys, check this out!" Katara spoke suddenly. She was holding a small yellow paper with familiar writing on it. "I found a note, and it says something."

"So does all this other stuff, but it's all incomprehensible," Tsuchi groaned, shutting another book.

"No, I mean seriously, it says something!" So the group set the stuff they were looking at down and walked to Katara to read over her shoulder. In the familiar language they had grown accustomed to, it said:

Dog- _dog_

David- _David_

Father- _father_

Bike- _bike_

Friend- _friend_

Mother- _mother_

Sister- s_ister_

"Why are there a bunch of random words on it?" Tsuchi was the first to say. Sokka snatched the paper from Katara's and handed it to the teen, folding it in half to only show the part they recognized. He pointed to the letter and then to the words, nodding to him.

"_Chinese_?" the teen said loudly. "_You guys speak Chinese_?"

"Katara, come here," Sokka called to her. Katara stood up and dusted herself off while walking to her brother's side.

"Sister," Sokka said to the guy clearly, pointing to the word that corresponded.

"_Sister_?" the guy responded as well, pointing to Katara. Sokka nodded.

"Aang, come here," Sokka said, this time to Aang who walk to Sokka's other side. "Friend," he said again, clearly, pointing to corresponding word.

"_Friend_?" the other said again. Sokka nodded. "_Who's that_?" he said, making a large gesture to Tsuchi who had yet to be called. Sokka rolled his eyes.

"Dog," he said sarcastically, pointing to the corresponding word. The guy gave him a bewildered look.

"Did you just call me a dog, you bastard?" Tsuchi yelled. She slid her foot backwards, moving the ground from under Sokka's feet. With a small yelp, Sokka fell face first into the red dirt.

"God, I was just joking," Sokka spat, clearing the dirt from his mouth. The teen who was watching stumbled backwards.

"_How'd you do that_?" he gasped with bug-eyes.

"What, what'd he say," Katara asked Sokka with a hint of panic.

"How am I supposed to know?" he defended. "I can't understand their language."

"I thought you did Mr. Know-It-All?" Tsuchi scoffed. "He probably wants to know what happened. Aang, bust a move!"

"Bust a what?" he replied in bewilderment. "Did you just tell me to bust a move? What does that even mean?"

"_No, dog_," the teen said, pointing to the dog that was now debating on whether Momo was a friend or not. "_I don't remember how to say dog in Chinese, so… Um, would you guys like to follow me, uh…_?" The teen walked away from the group, back to the direction he came from and motioned for them to follow.

"I think he wants us to follow him," Tsuchi said sarcastically. "Tsuchi translations one, Sokka translations a jillion."

"I don't think his thing can outrun Appa," Aang said sincerely, petting the large bison. Appa grunted loudly, also sending the boy to be taken aback. "But if he insists." Aang shot himself on Appa, Katara and Tsuchi following, the boy still confused, mostly that Aang managed to shoot himself fifteen feet in the air.

"Would you like to come with us?" Sokka asked slowly, gesturing to the guy and then to Appa.

"_Wait, what_?" the teen stuttered. "_Are you asking me to join you guys? No, I can't, see, I have Bo here_," he started, pointing to the dog, "_and then I have my bike, I can't possibly go. And besides, that thing will bring a lot of attention and…_" The guy stopped when he saw the blank look on Sokka's face. "_Sure_," he nodded, vigorously, but reluctantly, "_I would gladly like a ride from a bunch of wizard Chinese aliens on their giant white cow. I've been pretty mellow about this whole thing; I'm sure a few more added stressors shouldn't kill me_." Begrudgingly, he beckoned his dog over and retrieved his bike. Katara and Tsuchi helped Sokka get the dog on Appa, which was an ordeal since the dog squirmed at even the idea of three complete strangers touching him. But still, even their newest acquaintance was uneasy getting on Appa. The gargantuan bison did not mind and soon they were airborne, much to the dismay of the new guy, who did not know that Appa could fly.

In less than a few minutes they arrived at the place they were at earlier that morning, the neighborhood now seeming larger than it did in the dark. After all, there was not a single house nearby. They landed Appa in the same spot they landed yesterday and each got off without a problem. That is, of course, the new teen. The guy mostly fell off Appa instead of using the sides of the saddle like the rest of them. Aang helped Sokka place the dog on the floor, but the moment the animal saw solid ground, it ran towards the small tanned house and on the porch, begging to return inside. "_Bo, just hold on_," the teen coughed, clearing his lungs of the dirt he inhaled. He ran to the house while the rest of them parked Appa behind the house out of sight.

"How do we even know if we should be hiding Appa?" Tsuchi asked as Aang directed Appa behind the house. "What if they have bison here?"

I can't risk it," Aang said simply. "Even if they do have bison, there's a chance they won't be here. And besides, I don't want to stress anything else. We'll have enough to deal with."

"Aang are you okay?" Katara asked him privately when both Sokka and Tsuchi departed in the direction of the small residence. "You were acting weird last night, and you're acting weird again, is everything okay?"

Aang dropped the reins to Appa, but stayed silent. He did not dare look at her because Katara knew everything. No matter how hard he tired he would never be able to hide anything from her. Still, out of everyone, she was the most compassionate, the one more willing to help him. "Katara," he started, but suddenly felt embarrassed at what he wanted to say.

"What is it, Aang?" she asked with a slightly stern, but still caring tone. "Please tell me."

There was no point avoiding it. He sighed deeply. "I'm scared."

"Scared of what?" Katara asked earnestly.

"You know of what," he replied with an unintentional hint of aggression. "I only have four more days until we return to our world and here we are, lollygagging instead of preparing ourselves."

"Aang, I'm sure we can get more preparation time in today," she tried to say encouragingly, but he did not accept her answer.

"That doesn't matter," he snapped. "No matter how much we plan, it can all fail, and it'll be no one's fault but mine. I decided to leave everyone behind, _again_, and for what? What did I gain? I couldn't help people who needed the most help. I abandoned them. People were so happy to see me, like they knew I was their only chance of peace and normality. But I left again. I left them all behind and without even a warning. Who's going to protect them now? There's no one there. No one there to give them hope. No one there to help them."

"Aang, I'm sure they have protection," Katara reassured. "It's not like they're hopeless."

"But wouldn't things be different?" he replied sharply. "Who knows how many died already, and all because I abandoned them again! I wonder how many placed were destroyed because I wasn't there, how many lives we left unassisted."

"Aang, seriously, how many lives can that be?" Katara asked logically.

"I don't know!" he snapped, finally facing Katara. "How many people could we save in seven months? Quite a number, I'm sure. But I wouldn't know. I'm too busy here, and we only managed to extend my time by a month. So what good has this done? Really, in what realistic sense was this a good idea?"

"Aang, how am I supposed to know?" Katara snapped back. "To be honest, yes, we've probably done more damage than good, but what can we do about it now? We can't go back in time."

"Yeah, but I wish we could," he mumbled, slumping on the ground. "I'm not a savior," he said quietly. "I abandoned them when they needed me the most. I can't be a hero. I won't be able to defeat them."

"Aang, yes you can," Katara continued, taking the spot next to Aang. "You can do this."

"Okay, here's a better question: what am I supposed to do?" Katara gave him a puzzled look. "I'm supposed to defeat the Fire Lord, but how? What am I supposed to do?" Katara did not answer. "I can't simply defeat him. He'll always be there to take over, to get stronger. I've been thinking this over, and the only answer I have is that I'm going to have to kill him."

'-'

"Prince Zuko, do you think you can handle this," Iroh asked his nephew quietly. Zuko was leaning on the edge of the ship in deep thought.

"There's no questioning it," Zuko replied lowly. "Even if I wasn't ready, I'd have to do it anyways."

"What about Hiashi?" Iroh asked. "Do you think she is ready?"

"How am I supposed to know? She was the one who came up with the plan."

"This is going to be the most challenging of all your obstacles. You have reached the end, but it is only the beginning. There is still more challenges ahead."

"I know, Uncle," Zuko replied quietly, still leaning over the side of the ship. _Of course this is only the beginning. It always is. When hell is ready to break loose, that is the least of my worries. All I have done, after three long, dreadful, arduous years of waiting for him, after all the hell I went through, it is all about to come to an end…_

_If only I can withstand it…_

'-'

Yeah, it's really hard to translate English into... well, English... It will start to get confusing, especially since the new language is in English, but the Avatar people speak another language, which is Chinese, but I'm writing in English... NEHO, I just figured out the stats thing. Didn't even know I had them... Anyways, I was looking at it and apparantly I have readers in like Germany, Japan, Uruguay, the Netherlands, Indonesia, UK, Africa, the Philippines and Australia. Freaking awesome... awesome to the max... Well, until next time, signing off.


	52. The Big Question

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter fifty-one: The Big Question

'-'

"You know what this reminds me of?" Tsuchi announced loudly. "It kind of reminds me of that one place with the amorphous girl and her talking wolf. Remember her house? Only this one's a little less dated. Sort of like a past version of it." And it was. The house, though more advanced than their own world, was similar, only different. They followed the teen through the gargantuan backyard to the back porch, in through the small mudroom, and into the main house's kitchen. It was of average size, and towards the outside of the kitchen was a large space with a fireplace, a large, padded seat to the right. "I mean, look at this!" Tsuchi continued, running to the direction of the large seat. "This box looks like the other box, you know, the one with the moving pictures?"

"Tsuchi, stop running around like a child," Sokka snapped, following the teen to the front of the house, to another room, but stopped in the doorway respectfully.

"But take a look at this!" Tsuchi whined, changing the dial on the picture box. "The only difference is that this one is all grayish and fuzzy."

"Tsuchi, for God sakes stop messing around," Sokka snapped, twisting all the knobs on the large box until the pictures disappeared. Tsuchi stood up and took interest at the walls.

"Look at all these pictures," she hissed, scanning over the family portraits, some at the beach, in front of houses, in cities, in yards, others of different people. "Whoever drew these is fantastic! But why with the grey? I mean extend your color pallet."

"Maybe they don't have colored paint," Sokka replied blandly.

"No, because this is in color," she stated with confusion, pointing to two pieces of wood perpendicular to each other with a frail man nailed to it. "Okay," she hissed, "here's a question: why does this family have a gory looking man nailed to some wood. Better question, who would nail someone to wood? No, why would anyone _want_ to hang this? Might as well cut someone's head and stick in on a pike."

"Tsuchi, it's just a statue," he replied, "calm down."

"Yeah, but I bet you anything that that's just a warning to all those who enter!" she said more loudly. "They're probably a bunch of freak people who kill people and then nail them to wood! Then they stick thorny hats on them! Do you want to hang with people who put hats made of thorns on your head? I mean, guy, they might be serial killers!"

"Shut up," Sokka mumbled, turning from the homely looking man. Tsuchi forced her head away from the wall and continued looking around.

"So what exactly are we doing here?" she sighed, plopping herself on the large seat. "Did your crazy pantomiming get us any information?"

"No," he groaned, taking the spot next to her on the seat, "he just wanted us to follow him."

"I'm telling you," she hissed again, "he wants to kill us."

"Damn it, Tsuchi shut up about the whole killing thing!" he snapped. "They're not going to kill us!"

"_Okay,_" the teen announced from the room he was in, coming out with a new pair of shoes and a different pair of pants, "_I have to go down into town for a little bit. My sister won't be home from the law firm until six, so I have about five hours to get into town and back, and hide you guys. I_—" He stopped speaking when he realized the two of them did not understand him. "_Shit, okay, um…_" He thought to himself for a moment before saying, "_okay, STAY_!" holding out his hands palm first. "_Don't,_" he started, pointing to the door and shaking his head, "_leave. Okay_?" Sokka nodded and the boy groaned. "_I will be back_." He continued loudly. He walked slowly out of the house out the front door, as if afraid they may run out if he opened it.

"What did you just agree to?" Tsuchi asked roughly when the teen left the house. "That crazy man just left us here."

"David," Sokka replied with emphasis, "just stepped out for a moment. He'll be back. He just doesn't want us to leave."

"Well, this 'David' character seems shady to me," she mumbled, standing up and shifting to the kitchen.

"He left four complete strangers in his house unattended who don't speak his language and you're calling _him_ shady?" Sokka scoffed. "And besides, should you be looking though his stuff like that?" Tsuchi was meandering around the kitchen, peaking though his cupboards when she opened a box with writing on it.

"Huh," she puffed, smelling the inside. She twisted her face, stuck her hand in the box and ate some of the contents.

"Tsuchi, what are you doing?" Sokka said loudly from the large seat.

"Well, it's not toxic," she replied with a full mouth. "That stuff is in the bottom cabinets. All the edible stuff is in the top ones."

"Why are you going through his stuff?" Sokka scolded, finally standing up and walking in the kitchen. "That's very disrespectful."

"He left us here, so I'm assuming his food is up for grabs too." She continued munching on the contents inside the box. Sokka's brow furrowed.

"What is that?" he asked, looking at the large yellow box with white writing on it. "And why are you eating it?"

"Ionno," Tsuchi shrugged, continuing to eat it. "I want to say they're mini wheat rings, but they're tiny, and taste like oats... They're not that sweet, but they're strangely addictive. It's like eating a cracker, only smaller and more oat-y tasting. Small little rings of happiness…" She took another handful and shoveled it in her mouth.

"That might be poison," he responded with no sympathy.

"Doesn't stop it from being good," she mumbled, but closed the thin box anyways and put it back in the cupboard. "Why are Katara and Aang still outside? They've been out there an awful long time."

"Just leave them," Sokka sighed, looking out the window in the kitchen, right over a metal basin, which looked over into the backyard. "I can see Appa from here. If something was wrong, Appa would be upset. He's not so we should be good."

"You're gonna leave your little sister outside with Aang?" she laughed, continuing her search through the kitchen's many storage spaces. "That's trust right there."

"Why would you say that?" Sokka asked, pulling his gaze from the window and walking back to the area with the fabric floor.

"Don't tell me you don't see it," Tsuchi had to laugh. "Aang totally has the hots for your sister."

"So?" he replied sharply. "He's not going to do anything. Aang has more respect than that."

"It's not about respect," she said in an obvious tone, "it's about the awkwardness. Fifty gold pieces Katara doesn't know."

"Tsuchi, if it's obvious to you with your learning disabilities then it should be obvious to Katara," he groaned.

"I don't have learning disabilities, you jackass!" she snarled. "Forget I said anything." She walked over to a small end table and began shuffling through the envelopes. "These people get a lot of mail. Can you imagine any messenger hawk carrying _this _much paper?"

"There was probably more than one," he groaned again, now becoming annoyed with Tsuchi's continuous talking. She shot him a heinous look.

"Okay, seriously, your words aren't exactly cheery. What's your issue?" She walked back to the seat where Sokka had turned his back on her. "Ever since we left that other world you have been nothing but sour to us. I mean, there's only so much we can do but in reality, you've been nothing but a downer. What's your deal?"

"Leave it up to you to not understand," he mumbled, rotating his body more away from her.

"No, I don't understand," she said roughly, "so do you think you can enlighten me?"

"Are you that stupid?" he snarled. "I've been upset since we left the last world and you're wondering why I'm so upset? Is that a trick question?"

"You're still upset about that one chick? For God's sakes, Sokka let it go!"

"Okay, I know nothing means anything to you, but to me, she meant something. I loved her, and even though you can't see that—"

"Loved her?" she scoffed. "Sokka, you knew her for a week, you didn't speak her language, and you claim you loved her? That wasn't love, that was lust."

"What would you know about it, leave it up to you not to get it." He crossed his arms histrionically and scooted away from Tsuchi.

"Okay, just because I don't fall for the first pretty face I see and try and see how fast I can storm the fort doesn't mean I don't get it." Sokka emitted a horrendous garble, but did not respond. Tsuchi pursed her lips. "You need something to take your mind off death and the other godly awful dark and creepy thoughts that are going though your psyche right now." She walked to the picture box and began twisting the knobs until a picture came on. "I really need to figure out how to turn these things on," she mumbled, but allowed whatever pictures on the box to move.

On the box were two men in leather leggings and large hats, each pouring different contents into several large mugs.

"Okay," Tsuchi frowned, squinting her eyes at the grey moving picture," from how I'm seeing it, these two guys are trying to make a drink, but they don't know what they're doing—oh wait, they do know what they're doing. Apparently those people playing the cards with the other guy are bad guys and they're serving the botched drinks." Sokka forced himself not to look at the picture box, but still his eyes would not revert. Instead he watched from his peripheral vision. Tsuchi continued to watch the men, as they went from making drinks to reaching for a large hose. She laughed at them, despite not being able to understand a word of what they were saying, certainly enjoying the clumsy people as the man with the hose tripped and somersaulted forward, or when the other hit one of them on the head with a hammer. Even Sokka loosened up a bit to watch one of the men get thrown in jail by the bad men, even laughing from time to time as his friends tried to get him out, one trying to chisel at the bars, but instead hitting both friends while hammering.

"Heh," he chuckled, "that one tried to saw his ear off."

The two stared at the picture box for the next while, even though they could not understand a single word of what the people were saying. Katara and Aang had been outside for a while, and soon Sokka began to wonder what exactly his sister was up to. "Should I be concerned about my sister?" Sokka suddenly asked after an hour of complete silence.

"Don't sweat it," Tsuchi responded calmly. "If they're doing anything criminal, Appa'll tell us. Say, when do you suppose this David person is going to return? I mean, it's been, what, three hours? I'm bored. You can only watch this picture box for so long." She began twisting the buttons until the picture disappeared then walked back into the kitchen to the door they entered.

"Where are you going?" Sokka asked, jumping to his feet. "He told us not to leave."

"I'm going outside," she answered. "And I won't leave the property, I'm just going to go outside and do some bending. I'm bored as hell and got nothing to do."

'-'

"Give me what you got, Aang!" Tsuchi hollered, barrel turning and landing on the floor roughly. Aang with as much strength as he could muster from the desert heat, slammed his feet into the ground, raising a boulder and kicking it in her direction. Tsuchi ducked and let it fly past her. She inhaled deeply and punched a large flame in Aang's direction. He quickly bended the water from the nearby flask and created his own shield, freezing the remaining water and shooting daggers in her direction.

"_What are you doing_?" a voice from behind them suddenly shouted. Aang and Tsuchi quickly dropped their elements and turned to face the sound. To their relief it was only David who had apparently returned from his journey. "_I know this place is wide open space and as much as I was freaking out at your alien powered element powers things, you guys can get caught! I just got a ride back from Mr. Jamison and I don't know if he saw anything, but you guys are going to get me in trouble! I can't have you guys outside like this! My sister's going to be home in half an hour and if she sees you I'm going to get in trouble!_" The group, though they had stopped what they were doing, stared blankly at him.

"What the hell did he just say?" Tsuchi shouted over to Sokka. In response, Sokka shrugged her shoulder.

"_Good Lord, what have I gotten myself into,_" David groaned, stretching his hands over his face. "_Okay, where's the paper Miss Meng gave me uhh…_" David suddenly began emptying his pockets until he pulled out several sheets of paper from his back pocket. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Tsuchi walked in closer together to get a better look at what David had in his hand only to see that the papers had writing on it. "_Okay,_" he started, "in? _Umm, _house. In house." He pointed back to the direction of his house in a violent fashion.

"Good lord, he said something comprehensible!" Tsuchi shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Listen to him," Sokka groaned, walking towards David and back into the backyard, alongside, a forgotten Momo leaped and flew into the yard as well.

"This whole interspaced traveling just keeps getting more and more complicated," Aang groaned as he, Katara, and Tsuchi followed the other men inside. David continued to grumble random things they had never heard of and simply allowed the odd lot of people to ambush his home.

"_I don't know if you eat any of our foods_," he said hopelessly, "_but if you guys get hungry, there are some snacks in the cupboards and drinks in the fridge._" He inhaled sharply as the strange people finished entering his house. "_Good Lord, what have I done now? I'm gonna die. I'm seriously gonna die now…_" He shut the door behind, groaning loudly in hopes of not getting killed.

"This place looks familiar," Katara whispered as she scanned the house suspiciously.

"It looks like that one house from that one place, doesn't it?" Tsuchi intervened. "The one with the amorphous creature with the red eyes." Katara furrowed her eyebrows.

"Probably," she sighed, flopping down on the padded bench alongside Aang. Tsuchi meandered towards the kitchen again, pulling out the same yellow box she had been munching on and continued to eat the contents, despite a heinous glare from Sokka.

"_Don't eat all the Cheerios,_" David groaned, once again dumping the contents of his bag on the floor, "_I don't know when we're going to go grocery shopping again._"

"Hmp," Tsuchi sighed, looking out to the others, "what happened to the comprehension? I missed that; even if it was with a horrible, horrible accent."

"Shut up," Sokka said aggressively, Tsuchi throwing him a dirty look. "We can't be focusing on how people speak. We need a plan of attack."

"What plan?" Katara had to ask.

"We're getting there a day before the actual meteor arrives so we can ambush the Fire Lord, isn't that enough?" said Aang with stress in his voice.

"No, that's not enough," Sokka snapped. "Aang, haven't you thought this through? What are you going to do when you face the Fire Lord? You know there's only one thing you can do—"

"I'm not going to kill him!" Aang replied firmly. "I know what you're going to say, and I'm not going to kill him."

"Well then what do you expect to do?" Sokka snapped. "You can't just simply defeat him like any other villain! You actually have to do something about him!"

"Well, who says I have to kill him?" Aang defended. "Maybe I can just get him and –"

"No, no ands abut this, Aang! No buts, no ifs, no nothing! It's either do or don't now and you can't be fickle on anything."

"Great use of lexicon, Sokka," Tsuchi muttered earnestly in the background still with the yellow box, now on the floor watching the forgotten David look through his stuff.

"Shut up, Tsuchi," Sokka mumbled right back at her. She threw him a sour look, but continued to eat the contents of the box and stare at David.

"Anyways, Aang," Sokka continued, "it's not as hard as it seems, you just—"

"Really, it's not?" Aang snarled, jumping to his feet. "I don't think you understand! How do you expect me to just kill him?"

"Aang, it's nothing to worry about," Katara tried to console. "We discussed this—"

"Still, I don't think you have any idea what I have to do! Killing him isn't like killing a bug, and I can't even do that! How do you expect me to murder a human?"

"I agree with Aang and so does Mr. Language barrier here," Tsuchi sighed, putting the box to the side.

"Tsuchi, you don't know what you're talking about," Sokka snapped at her.

"Sokka, you idiot, do you realize what you're asking Aang to do?" Tsuchi replied back. "He's thirteen. He's a monk…ish type person. He's a pacifist, and a vegetarian. And you're expecting him to kill someone? Why don't we just ask Momo to do some math tutoring while you're at it?"

"Thanks Tsuchi," Aang replied with subtle earnestly, but Sokka as not impressed.

"You think you may be standing up for Aang, but that's not helping our situation. And besides, what makes you thing David agrees with Aang?"

"I drew it out for him!" she smiled stupidly, showing the group a crude drawing of Aang killing the Fire Lord. "According to this picture," she said pointing to a stick figure in a barred box, "I think he thinks we should put him in jail."

"That's not going to do it!" Sokka lashed back. "What if he gets out? He can just regain supporters and start the whole thing over again."

"Not if we tie him up!" Aang suggested enthusiastically. "We can restrain him, and make sure he can't bend anymore!"

"Or cut his hands off," Tsuchi shrugged. "I mean, my grandpa once threatened me with that, and he was a war hero. So maybe he had some sort of truth to the threat."

"Tsuchi, when was the last time you had any sort of logic in what you said?" Katara intervened. "Cutting off his hands would be just as bad as killing him."

"Not if he survives. Then it'd just be inconvenient," Tsuchi shrugged. "Doubt it'd be very effective though. There's the feet… then the mouth…" Tsuchi stopped saying words and simply twiddled her fingers.

"Exactly," Sokka stated, turning back to Aang. "So what's your plan?"

'-'

A dark figured lurked the darkest corners of the evening, the desert ground reflecting the amethyst sky. The shadow inhaled deeply, jumping from the peak they were standing on and down to the dirt covered ground.

_In due time, Avatar…_

_Your skin is mine…_

'-'


	53. Try N33 39 W104 52

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter fifty-two: Try N33.39, W104.52

'-'

"Well, Aang?" Sokka asked again roughly. "What do you plan on doing?"

"I don't know, Sokka," Aang replied with the same tone. "But I can't just kill him."

"Aang," Katara tried to say, "no one's going to be mad at you."

"Of course no one's going to be mad!" Aang snarled. "I'm taking away the problem in the easiest way possible!"

"Exactly!" Sokka said almost enthusiastically. "There's nothing else to worry about!"

"Sokka, this isn't funny!" Aang snapped viciously. "This is a person's life we're talking about!"

"Look, Aang—" Katara started, but Aang cut her off.

"No, _you_ guys look! I'm not going to kill the Fire Lord! You can go ahead and pretend it's not a big deal, but I'm not!" And in a flash, Aang was out the door and away from the house entirely.

"Aang, wait!" Katara cried rushing after him, but even the moment she had stepped outside he was gone. "You see what you did?" she snapped at Sokka who had followed her. "You got him so upset and now he's gone! How could you?"

"Katara, I'm just being realistic," Sokka shrugged. "He'll be back, he has to. I mean, come on, it's Aang. He knows he has to help end the war and he's not just going to let Fire Lord Ozai take over." Katara glowered at him, but did not say anything more.

"Mr. David man said we can't hang out here any longer because his sister's coming home, and something about us being aliens," Tsuchi said suddenly emerging from the house without her yellow box.

"When did he say that?" Sokka frowned.

"When you guys left," she shrugged, hoisting herself on Appa. "It's amazing. He's got this really old book where they have the language, but then they have our language and so basically it's like this thing where you go to if you want to know what to say in the other people's language!"

"Tsuchi, that doesn't make sense again," Katara groaned, still keeping a lookout for Aang.

"Maybe not to you, but he said some lady gave it to him and that the lady said it was given to her by a mission man who tried to teach her something about some guy. Sokka knows. The beaten up one with the prickly hat that was hanging on the wall."

"Fantastic," Sokka said with little to no attention, also scanning the horizon for any sign of Aang. "Katara, we're not going to find much just standing here. Our best bet would be to fly over and see if we can spot him."

"Hmm," Tsuchi replied with reluctance. "That was also a no-no. What's-his-face said we should stay low to the ground, lest we be seen by military people."

"There is no way you could have understood all that," Katara sighed as she lifted herself onto Appa.

"You guys haven't been listening to what I've said, have you?" Tsuchi glared. "I already explained—"

"Yes, yes, mission man, prickly hat, military people," Sokka retorted, following his sister, "now if you mind, Aang's gone missing and we need to find him." He took the reins to Appa and with a simple "Yip, yip!" they were off.

"You people are assholes," Tsuchi mumbled under her breath.

'-'

"_Look at that freak!_" a crowd of yellow haired girls in skirts snickered. "_What a ridiculous outfit? Where are we? China? Last time I checked, this was America!_" The girls continued to laugh as the abnormal figured searched for something.

"_Hey, Ching-Chong!_" one of the girls shouted towards the suspicious figure. "_You're not in China anymore! Get with the program!_" The group laughed hysterically despite the hostile glare the unknown person was giving them.

There was a small town nearby, nothing large. There were little to no witnesses around. To do something to these girls, despite being unable to understand them, would be easy. A cakewalk. The girls continued to laugh even as the figure quickly approached them.

"_Listen,_" one of the girls started,"_I don't have any money for you, so you can just—_" She did not finish her sentence. In a split second the figure had the girl by the neck with fire in the other hand. The girls next to her began to scream, running towards the town and abandoning their friend.

"Have you seen a bald boy, around the age of thirteen around here? Blue tattoos?" the stranger asked unusually calm.

"_If this is about the names, I'm not sorry! I'll tell my father and he'll_—" The fire in the figure's hand got bigger, shutting the girl up.

"Obviously you're no use to me." The person threw the girl to the ground viciously and despite overpowering her already, kicked her in the head twice. The nearly unconscious girl just watch as her scarlet haired attacker walked away, leaving her in the dirt.

'-'

Aang soared for who knew how long. It got to a point where he had no idea where he was for all he could see was the red ground for miles behind and for miles ahead. For his own friends to believe he could kill someone was horrible on his part. And it was not that it was only them. Everyone in the world wanted Fire Lord Ozai dead, but to take the easy way out was worse. To Aang there was no lesson. All that did to history was add more violence, that the only way to end the war was to kill the one insinuating it, instead of coming to an agreement or some sort of impasse.

Aang continued to fly. Where he was he was unsure. His surroundings changed…

From the desert to a jungle surrounding…

'-'

"_Excuse me, but you can't be in here_," the brunette man from behind the main counter said to Hiashi as she entered the strange new place that hummed with the sound of machines. "_Don't you see the sign outside?_" Hiashi said nothing to the man, still frustrated at the girls she had seen earlier.

"I'm looking for someone," she Hiashi said clearly, ignoring the fact the man had not said anything comprehensible. "A thirteen year old boy, with tattoos on his head and arms. Have you seen him?"

The man, who was helping another man, gave Hiashi a disgusted look. "_For the love of God,_" he said to the man he was helping, who too was giving Hiashi a dirty look, "_if they're gonna live in this country the least they could do is learn some damn English._" The other man snickered.

"_I know what you mean, Harvey_," the other man chuckled. "_These Asians thinking they can just come in here…_"

"Hey!" she snarled, unsheathing the sword from her cane. "I asked a question and I demand to be answered!"

"_Hey, lady, I have a revolver on the counter over there and I'm not afraid to use it!_" the man behind the counter snarled. "_Two seconds and I can have your yellow ass thrown in jail!_"

_This is going no where_, Hiashi thought to herself. She slammed her foot into the tiled floor and broke off a large chunk of the tile in the air.

"_Lady—_" the man started but before he could say anything more Hiashi had already bended the large tile piece into the head of the man he was helping. The man she hit flew into the wall next to him, blood running down his face from where the tile had shattered. "_JESUS CHRIST!_" the man from behind the counter screamed, jumping backwards. He ran from the counter and attempted to run pass the several large racks of clothing, but Hiashi bended a ring of fire to prevent him from moving any farther.

"I'm going to ask you one more time," Hiashi said slowly, "have you seen a teenage boy? Bald, blue tattoos? May be traveling with a large bison?"

"_Lady, calm down!_" the man shouted to her. "_I- I don't know who- or what- you are, but if you just let me- for one second- I have a woman in the back, her name's Mary, she's back there with Lupe and Grace, she may be able to help…_"

"Answer my damn question!" Hiashi snarled. "For the love of god, can you not speak?"

"_Mary?_" the man squawked. "_Mary, get out here now!_"

"Answer before I kill you!" she repeated, increasing the size of the fire ring.

"_Mary, now!_" the man screamed.

"_Yes, Mr. Jones?_" an elderly lady chimed from the background. "_You need help_?" The woman, though not familiar to Hiashi, looked more normal than most of the people she had seen in a while.

"Who is this?" Hiashi snarled at the man.

"_Mary, if you don't mind, do you think you can translate for this woman_?" the man stammered to the other woman.

"_Sir, what is going on_?" the woman cried to him.

"_Mary, just translate_!" he snarled.

"Answer my question!" Hiashi barked as she slowly closed the circle of fire.

"What was the question?" the old woman asked clearly. Hiashi shot her head in her direction.

"Who are you?" Hiashi retorted.

"My name is Mei Li," the woman stammered. "What can I do for you?"

"You speak?" Hiashi said roughly. "As apposed to this daft individual who says nothing but gibberish? Such a weak man."

"He is my boss," the woman named Mei Li said softly. "I work for him in the back, tailoring the clothes."

"You work for this pathetic excuse for a human?" Hiashi said astonished. "Aside from the point, I am currently on the hunt for a criminal. He is about age thirteen, shaved head, and blue tattoos. He may be traveling with three other individuals or more notably a large white bison. Have you seen anyone matching this description?"

"No, ma'am, I have not," the old woman breathed. "I spent most of my time in the back room and the only person I've seen was yesterday and he doesn't match your description."

"Hmm," Hiashi hummed, finally dropping the shield. The man who was trapped inside began to shift to the counter in the back, but Hiashi caught the motion. In a swift movement she punched a ball of fire in his direction and intentionally missed just so it would land in front of him. "Tell him that unless he would love to be burned alive I suggest he stays where he is. See if you can convey that through his inferior mind."

The woman gave her a horrified stare, but she conveyed the message to the man who gave her a look mixed with fear and anger.

"I need to know," Hiashi said firmly, but still with an aggressive voice, "has there been any suspicious activity around here?"

"No, not that I know," Mei Li stammered. "I mean, there was yesterday, but—"

"What about yesterday?" Hiashi interrupted. "You mentioned earlier that you saw someone. Who was it?"

"Well, it was David," Mei Li responded, "but David always comes to see me. He gets me the groceries that the farmers won't sell me. He just came by for a list of Chinese words, so I lent him my dictionary—"

"Chi- Chi…nese?" Hiashi forced out. "What's Chi…nese?"

"The… the language," Mei Li said a bit confused. "The language we're speaking. Don't you know?"

Hiashi gave her a blank stare. "I'm not sure if you know," she said slowly, "but I have had easier times with people on their native planets, and I'm assuming you're no different. I am not from here. I don't speak this 'Chinese' you speak of. I only know my language. And I don't know why you are working for this ridiculous excuse for a human, but I certainly have problems with this world."

"This world?" Mei Li asked. "Are- are you from here?"

"Of course not, don't be ludicrous," Hiashi scoffed. "My mission goes far beyond this absurd world." The elder woman stared at her with widen eyes, but said nothing. "Now I promise you on my own life that I will not harm this 'David' person who you speak of, but he could be potentially harboring traitors of the Fire Nation and I must take them back."

"Traitors? Fire Nation? What- I- I don't understand," the old woman stuttered. Hiashi rolled her eyes.

"Ma'am, I don't know what you are use to, but I already said I am not from here." Hiashi inhaled and changed her tone from the hostile mien to a more sympathetic one. "But I assure you that 'David' will be unharmed. He could be in danger. I'm here to take these people back to my home." The woman eyed her suspiciously.

"All I know is that he lives somewhere in Northwest Chaves and he bikes in from time to time, but I don't know exactly where."

"Northwest Chaves," Hiashi murmured to herself. "Where would that be in relation to here?"

"Um, you go north, then make a left," Mei Li answered. "But I don't know exactly where he is. He always asks me questions and I don't think there's anything suspicious." Hiashi smiled a wicked smile.

"Don't worry, Mei Li was it? David will be fine, along with… this man, if he dares to call himself one," Hiashi said with a false cheer, except when gesturing to the man who was cowering on the floor. "Tell him that if he knows what's best for him that he will never speak of this to anyone. And that his friend may die in a few hours unless he gets medical attention."

"But you attacked him!" Mei Li cried. "How can I believe you're good?"

"Mei Li, I am not from here," Hiashi walked towards the door but stopped. "I wouldn't know where I am anyhow. By the way, how far away is this 'Northwest Chaves' from here?"

"I wouldn't know," Mei Li sighed. "I would have to say maybe three miles away? But I don't know where he lives."

"Very well," Hiashi sighed as well. "Thank you for your help. I supposed I could ask around—"

"No," Mei Li said quickly. "No one here will understand you, let alone give you any help."

"And why would that be?" Hiashi asked roughly.

"Well, it's been five years, well technically I mean, in 1941, but there was a war here and, well, they've had a hard time… trusting our kind." The old woman forced herself to look at Hiashi but she was still terrified.

"I know a few things about war," Hiashi smiled. "It won't be anything new for me."

"You don't understand," Mei Li replied, "you must be careful. You don't speak and English and these people will not treat you with any respect!"

"As it is with everywhere I go," Hiashi simply said. "Let me guess: they'll torment me. I'm less than human to them. They see me as dirt and that I should probably die or at least get away from them, huh? That they are the superior race or at least superior to me, am I right?"

"Well, yes," Mei Li stammered, "but—"

"I know," Hiashi interrupted, "if I am not careful, they will kill me, yes?" the woman did not speak but she nodded once. "It's the same everywhere. Everywhere I have been, so this should not be any different."

"But he will tell someone," Mei Li breathed. "What will you do? I may get in trouble, or even lynched!"

"Not if I didn't give you any hints as to my whereabouts," Hiashi smirked. "Maybe someday you'll finally get to live in a place where they will respect you. A world with our kind, instead of here." Hiashi furrowed her brow. "Which by the way, I'm very curious since I'm assuming you aren't from here, what with the whole 'Chinese' thing, was it? Where are we exactly?"

"Oh!" Mei Li exclaimed. "This is Roswell. Roswell, New Mexico."

'-'

Neh, neh, neh, neh, neh, neh, neh, neh, Neh, neh, neh, neh, neh, neh, neh, neh, Spiderman, Spiderman.

Here comes Peter on the clothe line, but his name's not Peter it is Spiderman, Spiderman.

Come on Lois let's get busy, maybe in the garden right here, Spiderman, Spiderman.

Touch my cans with your hands, Spiderman


	54. For the Next Times

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: Did you know that I posted chapter 51 about sometime last week? Did you read it? Because assuming you're still reading this story and assuming you still want to know what happens, I just thought I'd let you know.

Chapter fifty-three: For the Next Times

'-'

"Katara, do you mind sitting still?" Tsuchi mumbled loudly. "When you move, I almost mess up. The string can't read minds."

"How can I sit still?" Katara exclaimed, sitting up from Tsuchi's lap and dusted off the stray eyebrow hairs from her face. "Aang's out there and we don't know where he is!"

"Katara, we've been looking for hours and it's dark out right now," Sokka said to his sister. "There's no way we're going to be able to find him now. And according to Tsuchi we can't wander far away from here if we want to go back home."

"Exactly," Tsuchi sighed, "now get over here and let me thread those suckers out." Katara frowned.

"How can you be so blasé about Aang's disappearance?" Katara exclaimed. "We have to leave in two days and he's missing! We should be more concerned!"

"We should, but I feel a more calm and assertive way of being is most ideal for me personally," Tsuchi shrugged. "What about you Socky?"

"Katara, it's late," Sokka told his sister. "We wouldn't be able to find him anyways. Yeah, I'm worried, but what can we do now?"

"We can be out looking for him," Katara simmered. "Right now. We shouldn't be sitting here just relaxing, now matter… how unsightly you think my eyebrows have become!" she mumbled to Tsuchi.

"Sorry, but that's not my fault," Tsuchi laughed. "Blame my grandmother. She's the one who made uni-brows a pet peeve of mine. And speaking of pet peeves, Sokka you're next." Sokka's brow furrowed but he just shook his head.

"You're being ridiculous, not calm. We should get to bed now so we can get an early start tomorrow." The girls nodded in agreement and went to their respected places of slumber. With a final blast of fire into the pit Tsuchi and Sokka quickly passed out. Katara simply lay on her back and started out to the stars.

_Aang, if you're out there, please just come back…_

'-'

The three of them awoke the next morning fairly early, but only to see David off in the distance on his two-wheeled contraption coming towards them in a rush.

"What's he doing here?" Sokka mumbled, still in a sleeping state. Katara dusted most of the dirt off her back and stood up to look towards the horizon.

"I'm not sure," she said to Sokka, "but he looks worried."

"Maybe his family did to Aang what they did to the man on the wall," Tsuchi said, still convinced that David was there to kill them.

"Tsuchi, do you listen to yourself when you speak?" Sokka asked her genuinely, standing up to take a place next to his sister.

"I may drift in and out sometimes," she answered sarcastically, standing up to bend the remaining dirt of herself. The group began packing their belongings and organizing their things on Appa to begin again on their search for Aang, so by the time they were ready to go David was already there.

"_One moment,_" was the first thing out of his mouth as his hand dove into his bag to fish out a book.

"That's the book I was telling you guys about," Tsuchi said loudly as David began thumbing through its pages. "It's the one where it tells you what the other people are saying."

"You," David said clearly, not addressing any one of them in particular, but with an accusing tone, "attack person, yes?"

"What the hell?" Sokka mumbled. "What does he mean by that?" Tsuchi jumped from their sides and tore the book away from David, flipping through the pages and pointing to individual words to translate what she wanted to say.

"A person," He said loudly and horribly accent wise, "is attack in store yesterday in evening look like you person."

"Who was attacked?" Katara said quickly. "None of us could have done it."

"I was here the entire time so don't look at me," Tsuchi said seriously.

"And Aang wouldn't attack anyone," Sokka added. "So either we don't know the person or Zuko and Tsuchi's sister are here."

"Look at this," David said loudly. "It no you person." He pulled out what looked like a newspaper and handed it to the group who took it swiftly.

They could not understand a single word on the paper or what any of it meant, but the pictures were enough to understand. On the cover were images of what looked like a store with burn marks on the counters and a piece of the floor gone. It was indeed nothing a normal person could do, as far as they knew.

"There's only one person," Sokka said suddenly to the girls.

"What do you mean?" Katara inquired.

"From what I can see from the picture there isn't enough damage for two people. So either they're both there and only one of them did something or only one of them came. My guess would be your sister. Zuko may be vicious, but your sister seems to be less sympathetic to others."

"But that's retarded," Tsuchi frowned. "Why would Zuko be so stupid and send only one person? There's four—well, three of us. What makes them think they can take on all of us at once?"

"I don't know," Sokka answered truthfully. "They may have something planned. I'm not sure what, but that seems most plausible.

"They can't have much planned with one person," Tsuchi mumbled. She took David's book of translations and pointed out several more words to him.

"_Wonderful_," he said in his own language. "_There are more crazy alien Chinese witches here. I've been trying really hard to defend your people but you're just making it harder and harder for me. I wouldn't be surprised if Miss Sung gets lynched later on tonight. And it's not even her fault…_" David continued ranting angrily to himself. Tsuchi shrugged.

"So they're here," Katara stated, "big deal. They're always chasing us."

"Not the last world, they—wait, never mind," Tsuchi stopped herself in fear of even mentioning it to Sokka. "Actually, you know what Sokka, do you still have that note that one chick gave you?"

"Her name was Esperanza, you ass!" he snarled at her.

"God damn, sorry," Tsuchi replied angrily. "I just wanted to know if you had her note."

"Why?" he asked sharply.

"Well because if he has our language, maybe David has hers to and he could translate it for you, sheesh." Sokka glared at her but reluctantly pulled the folded piece of paper from his pack and handed it to Tsuchi who handed it to David.

"_What is this_?" David asked, unfolding the paper to read what it said. Tsuchi, who still had his translator book, pointed out several words to him. "_You want me to translate this_?" he said curiously. "_I don't speak Spanish, but I think the other ladies in the Laundromat do. I could ask them, but I'm not sure they'll be letting anyone in anytime soon. They're still pretty pissed about the attack._" David's eyebrows wrinkled in deep thought until he finally nodded, point at several words in his translator book.

"David says yes, but it may take a while," Tsuchi said sternly to Sokka. Sokka prevented himself from showing any sort of emotion but his eyes lit up.

"Whatever," he mumbled. He turned and hopped on Appa. "We need to go," he said to the girls. "We can come back later for it, but right now our main concern should be Aang."

"That's true, but what about David?" Tsuchi frowned. "We just leave him here? Say sorry about someone getting attacked, translate this for us, see you later?"

"You've never cared about anyone's feelings, so why care now?" Sokka snapped.

"He's been nice to us," Tsuchi said earnestly. "And Katara agrees with me, right Katara?" Katara gave her a quizzical look.

"I want to find Aang," she said simply. "I'm sure David wouldn't mind."

"Be honest with yourselves, what are the odds we're going to find Aang right now?" Tsuchi asked. "Who knows how big this place is, and you think a few hours of searching will find him? Frankly, I doubt you'll find him."

"How can you say that?" Katara snarled. "Aang's out there and you're so confident we won't find him? How dare you!"

"Yes, but no, not really," Tsuchi snapped back, "but who knows. Aang's done miracles before but in reality there's a better chance of him finding us than us him."

"So what, we shouldn't look for him?" Katara snapped aggressively. "You don't want to at least try and find him?"

"What? God no!" Tsuchi cried. "I mean yes, sorry, Katara, I think you've really misunderstood me—"

"No, I don't think so!" Katara barked. "I think I understood you very well!"

"God damn it, Katara, I'm just saying taking two seconds out of our fucking schedule to thank David properly isn't going to hurt us!"

"Hey!' Sokka shouted loudly to the two of them.

"What?" both girls screamed at him.

"Look!" As if their problems could not be any worse, Sokka's prediction was right. In the distance stood a familiar scarlet figure watching them intently. "It's her."

'-'

Hiashi saw them: three familiar figures, one which she did not know, and one missing. Aang, the orange and yellow form was out of sight, but no worries for her. She slammed her foot to the ground which shot her up and towards them. Not to her surprise the group of teens began their counter attacks, in the air water, fire, and earth, but all attacks missed to her benefit. "Pathetic!" Hiashi cackled as she landed semi gracefully on the desert floor about twenty feet away from them. "Three of you and only one of me, yet you still missed!"

"We know you're the one who attacked the people in town!" Sokka shouted from atop of Appa. "This isn't your world to harm!"

"That may be but it doesn't mean I can't have a little fun," Hiashi smirked. "This world and all those who inhabit it are weak. I say that because that boy over there has not moved since I arrived." She gestured over to David who indeed had not moved since she arrived, his face petrified with genuine fear. "I actually had an interesting talk with a woman who worked at whatever that place was. She said she worked for the man who owned the place yet that pathetic weakling could not even speak properly."

"That's because they speak another language, dipshit!" Tsuchi sneered.

"Really? If that's so then why was I able to speak to her?" Hiashi asked her smugly. "You may want to reconsider your argument!" Her leg swung upwards and across her and shot a large flame in their direction. Katara quickly bended them a water shield and as quickly as Hiashi came they were in battle.

"No time to explain!" Sokka shouted at David, jumping off Appa and grabbing him by the shirt collar. "Come on!" David had no time to respond for Sokka had already dragged him to Appa and quickly had him in the air as Katara and Tsuchi fought off Hiashi.

"There's a character missing!" Hiashi screeched loudly. "Where is your dear Avatar friend? Did you lose him?"

"How dare you mock us!" Katara cried. "We didn't lose him!"

Hiashi flung her fists in the air, shooting several rock pillars at Tsuchi, while slicing them downwards to create a fire blade against Katara. "Defensive now, are we," Hiashi laughed wickedly. "As all airbenders go, flight and avoidance is the key to their survival. It's a shame his people didn't get the message."

"You ass!" Tsuchi shouted, punching forward roughly. Hiashi executed a back handspring away from the fire.

"Aang is not hiding!" Katara shouted as well, bending the water she had into ice around Hiashi's feet before she landed. Hiashi quickly lost her balance but landed on her hands instead, melting the ice with her feet.

"Very clever, waterbending novice," Hiashi mocked Katara, "it's a shame your mother isn't alive to see this." Tsuchi was ready to make a move, but Katara stopped her.

"Why would you mention her?" Katara snarled. "You don't know her. Why would you know anything about her?"

"I don't need to know anything about her," Hiashi scorned. "Your face tells the whole story. That necklace you wear? I assume no man has ever asked you to marry them otherwise you would not be here, so I would have to guess it was an heirloom. I would only assume it would be someone very close otherwise you wouldn't wear it."

"Katara, I think she's stalling, let me fuck her up!" Tsuchi growled. "She's trying to get inside your head!" Katara shushed her curtly.

"How dare you talk about me like you know me!" Katara barked.

"That's how you waterbenders all are," Hiashi laughed. "Pacifists. Just like the airbenders. That's why both races are quick to die out. See here, there's only one of me and two of you. My darling sister Tsuchi wants nothing more than to fight, and yet you stop her. Why would that be? Because nothing good comes from a good fight? Or perhaps revenge is not your style? Which like I said, is like all you waterbenders. Weak, all of your people."

"You're an awful person!" Katara shouted. "You have no right to say anything! You-you…"

"Can't say anything," Hiashi chuckled loudly. "I'll make it easier on you. Anything you say about me can be in turn used against the other hybrids."

"You're a disgrace to your kind," Katara growled lowly. "Out of all the firebenders you are possibly one of the worst."

"Katara, I swear it, let me fuck her up!" Tsuchi muttered in almost a squeal. "Let me punch her in the face!"

"Listen to the child," Hiashi interrupted. "Prove that your people aren't as pathetic as you put them out to be. In fact, why not make this interesting? Just you and me. No elements."

"Katara, she's stalling!" Tsuchi hissed. "Don't do it!"

"Fine," Katara said, ignoring Tsuchi's warning. "But you have to swear—"

"My dear girl, I swear no elements," Hiashi smiled demonically. Katara stared at her suspiciously, but said nothing. Katara walked forward cautiously to Hiashi who simply stood there with a maniacal grin on her face.

"Katara, don't do this," Tsuchi pleaded. "She wouldn't challenge you unless she knew she could win!" Hiashi flexed her fist with excitement as Katara stop several feet in front of her.

"No elements," Katara repeated loudly.

"Just as we promised," Hiashi replied as if stifling a laugh. Hiashi went into a fighting stance, one arm in front in a fist the other across her chest. "Come on, waterbender; show me that your people aren't weak." Katara inhaled deeply and replicated Hiashi's stance. "Ready? One… two… three." Though she said three, the two of them did not initially throw any punches or kicks but rather circled each other in a stalking motion. "Why are you scared, waterbender?" Hiashi sneered. "Why not hit me? Afraid you'll lose?"

"I'm not afraid!" Katara growled and with all the strength she could muster she threw a reverse punch to Hiashi's face. But Hiashi ducked. Hiashi was quicker than lightning for someone who could not walk properly. Hiashi swung her upper body with the movement of Katara's punch, wound her arms around Katara's closest leg and pulled upward. Katara gasped as she crumpled to the floor, spraining, almost breaking, the remaining foot on the floor for she was not properly grounded.

"Just remember next time, waterbender" Hiashi cackle loudly, "if you plan on fighting someone, then make sure you have the strength." Hiashi then swept her back leg up and onto Katara's leg.

The sound that emitted from Katara's mouth was almost unhuman as a sharp and numbing pain shot itse'f up and down her thigh. Katara shrill, blood-curdling screams echoed off the desert walls, making her pain louder than it should have been. "You horrible woman!" Katara shrieked through tears of pain.

"Katara!" Tsuchi cried running in her direction, but Hiashi was already on her trail, taking a running start and back flipped, kicking Tsuchi roughly in the jaw. Hiashi landed like a cat and just as quickly, kicked Tsuchi again in the chest, sending her sister backwards to the floor.

"Also," Hiashi added rudely, "you may want to listen to my sister next time." Tsuchi spat out the blood pooling in her mouth from biting her tongue roughly, throwing Hiashi a look of disgust, struggling to breathe as the wind had been knocked out of her. "I have to say waterbender, that was truly, truly dismal! I assume your brother will either be just as easy or maybe a bit of a challenge since the lack of bending made him have to compensate for what he lacks. But I believe I can manage."

"Oh my god, Katara!" Sokka's voice suddenly appeared. Hiashi's head shot upward to see Sokka had indeed returned on Appa. Sokka landed roughly and quickly jumped off Appa with his club in hand. "What did you do to my sister?" he snarled, ready to strike Hiashi. Hiashi smiled another wicked smile and raised her hand slightly only to slam it hard on the floor. The earth from beneath Sokka shot into the air and around the hand that held his club and pulled him to the ground brutally.

"Something similar to that," Hiashi replied as Sokka attempted to pull his hand away from the rock, "only a lot more painful I would assume. And how brainless of you not to bring your sword with you. It could have at least gotten you out of this predicament. But instead I win. And it was not arduous at all. Now if you excuse me, your shuttle should be here any moment."

"You can't get away with this!" Sokka sneered. "Aang's not here, and that's what you came here to get!"

"Please!" Hiashi scoffed. "So long as I have you three, there is no chance in hell that the Avatar can get back! Without him, there's no one to end the war. The Avatar's destiny is shot. And we should be able to return in three, two, one—." And as if someone heard her the portal to their world opened.

"And how do you expect to get us all in," Sokka was ready to say but she responded wordlessly, shooting each individual inside by bending the rocks beneath them forcefully.

"This was the easiest thing I have ever done," Hiashi announced as she entered the portal.

"Wonderful," an unfamiliar voice to all of them chimed, "you have made my job so much easier."

'-'


	55. Whose Destiny is It?

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

NOTE: If you are currently reading this, thinking this is the new chapter, it is not. Actually, I adjusted my chapter one to see if it will get any new readers, seeing how no one reviews to my story anymore... Not quite sure if people are paying attention. So I edited chapter one so that it seemed less 'Mary Sueish' as one person wrote, by not including either Hiash or Tsuchi in the first chapter. NEHO, you can read it if you want. Sort of elaborates on things a bit, but not quite much... Huh. Well, sorry to bum you out if you were actually looking foward to a new chapter...

Chapter fifty-four: Whose Destiny is It?

'-'

"What the- who are you?" Hiashi stumbled over her words to the brand new figure. "Where's Zuko?"

"Oh, where are my manners?" the person sneered. "Better question, shouldn't you know who I am? I am Princess Azula."

"Princess?" Sokka exclaimed, but was kicked by a guard before he could say more.

"Pathetic," the one named Azula muttered. "Still, it does not surprise me that uneducated peasants such as yourselves do not know their Fire Nation Royalty."

"I don't fucking care who you are, where the hell is Zuko?" Hiashi snarled.

"Are you blind or just stupid?" Azula laughed. "Did you check behind you?" Hiashi shot a deadly glare at Azula but quickly looked behind her only to see Zuko and the rest of the crew bound and gagged. "I caught them before you were able to get your little plan into action. Frankly, I'm surprised you would risk everything just to catch the Avatar. More so, I'm surprised you two were even invited here. I would think Zuko would have been taken off the guest list. But maybe that slipped under the radar."

"Well congratulations," Hiashi replied. "I may have done whatever dirty work you may assume I did, but I honestly don't care. Go ahead and have them. The Avatar's not here, so if that's why you're here then you are out of luck. And since I'm not a major asset, I'll just leave—"

"Not a major asset?" Azula scoffed. "What would make you say that, Hiashi, the mudblood?" Hiashi's breath caught in her throat. "I'm sorry, how dumb do you think I am to not see it?"

"I've met numerous, and you look no different," Hiashi replied. This time it was Azula who gave the look of death.

"Take the prisoners away!" Azula commanded. "But leave the mudblood. I wish to deal with her myself."

"Please," Hiashi laughed, "your words are so unrealistic I want to vomit." Azula's henchmen began herding their catch down the hill towards several large caged carts. Katara, who could not stand due to her leg, was viciously dragged to the carts as she attempted to stifle her screams of pain. Sokka and Tsuchi were quickly handcuffed like the rest of them and pulled to the carts as well. The blood trickling from Tsuchi's tongue slid slightly out of the corner of her mouth, giving her a menacing appearance. Tsuchi had an aggressive facial expression and before anyone could do anything she broke from the grasp of her captor with shackles in hand and ran directly behind Azula, grabbing the metal armor shielding her chest and digging her hands into Azula's shoulders. Just as quickly as Tsuchi acted Azula responded by striking Tsuchi in the neck and pushing her to the floor.

"Keep an eye on that one," Azula hissed, running her fingers over the indent in her armor that was putting pressure on her shoulder, "put them in a chamber she can't bend her way out of." The guards who apprehended Tsuchi nodded and dragged her off with the rest of them. "Now where was I?"

"Why would you fancy me here?" Hiashi asked. "Just capture me like the rest of them."

"Now what would be the fun in that?" Azula mocked. "I fought my brother and seeing as how you took care of the other prisoners yourself I figure it should be just as much fun to take you down."

"So I take it antagonism just runs in your family, doesn't it?" Hiashi asked sarcastically.

"You know, when I interrogated Zu-Zu he did hint that you would be a challenge for me, but now I think you're just a coward," Azula complained sarcastically. "And I was really looking for a fight."

"I'm not sure what to say," Hiashi simply said. "I have absolutely nothing to gain from anything I've done here or from challenging you to a fight. So really there is no point."

"No point?" Azula laughed. "Not being able to take down the most elusive criminal since the Avatar would be a shame to waste."

"You know what? Fuck this, I don't need this! I'd rather be in jail!" Hiashi went to follow the soldiers Azula had brought but was immediately stopped by a blue color spiral of fire.

"Don't you have any etiquette!" Azula snarled. "Or did you lose that on Engoku?"

"Fuck off," Hiashi replied. "You wouldn't challenge me unless you knew you'd win." She turned her back on Azula and continued to walk down hill, but Azula had other plans.

"How dare you turn your back on me!" Azula roared and without hesitation, a loud bang emitted from her hands and suddenly Hiashi was rolling down the hill. Both Katara and Sokka gasped when they saw Azula strike Hiashi in the back with what appeared to be lightning, but even though they were good people, they found it hard to care too much, especially Katara since Hiashi did break her leg. Zuko on the other hand stared in horror with the rest of the guards at hand as she finally stopped rolling mid-hill. Nonchalantly, Azula's lackeys grabbed her by the limbs and ungracefully threw her into one of the carts. "Take them to the jail," Azula ordered. "I'll allow father to decide their fate."

'-'

"WE NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION IN HERE!" Zuko hollered from the inside of the heavily layered metal jail cell. He pounded viciously on the enormously thick walls, screaming to the guards outside as loudly as he could. Hiashi had been carelessly thrown in the cell, along with Katara who at least had the company of Sokka and Tsuchi. Whether they were thrown into the same room as Zuko on purpose or just coincidentally, they did not know. Still, they stayed towards the back of the chamber, away from the savage Zuko who looked more like a wild animal than human at this point. "SHE'S DYING IN HERE!" he continued barking at the guards who could not here him through the wide walls. Hiashi was in the corner, her muscles still randomly twitching from time to time, her breathing just as random. Tsuchi, even though it was her sister, paid no attention to her or Zuko. Instead she turned to Katara.

"How bad does your leg hurt?" Tsuchi asked her.

"Is that a joke?" Katara asked, trying her hardest not to let the pain get the best of her temper.

"Okay, I'm just going to tap around your leg, and you tell me where it hurts the most. Think you can do that?" Tsuchi asked calmly.

"What can you do?" Sokka questioned. "If I remember properly from what you've told me, you're probably not the greatest person to be touching my sister."

"Relax," Tsuchi rolled her eyes. She poked around Katara's leg, starting at the feet, ignoring flinching, jolting, and the occasional gasp of air until she poked at a spot slightly above the knee.

"Ah, oh my god, that hurt!" Katara gasped sharply.

"Alright," Tsuchi inhaled, "this is gonna hurt like a son of a bitch, Katara, but bear with me, okay?" Katara furrowed her eyebrows, but the moment she saw Tsuchi place her hands over her leg she closed her eyes and held her breath. Tsuchi's grasp on her knee began to tighten and a mind-numbing sharp pain radiated up Katara's body, close to knocking her out. But in less than a minute Tsuchi was letting go of her leg and the sudden influx of pain began dwindling down into an uncomfortable numbing annoyance. Katara opened her eyes a little to see Tsuchi was in fact done, but Sokka was just as confused as she was.

"What just happened?" Katara asked, choking on the air she held in by accident. "What'd you do?"

"I'm kind of curious now, too," Sokka added.

"Oh," Tsuchi smirked, "that's just a trick my grandpa taught me. The Earth Kingdom soldiers figured that out. Bones are just minerals, which is basically earth. You can heal them up pretty well. You don't know how many bones my grandpa had to fix on me. I practiced on myself, but I'm not as good as he is." Tsuchi laughed. "I don't mean to sound cocky, but I think earthbenders can bend pretty much anything they want to."

"Is my leg shorter?" Katara suddenly exclaimed. And indeed it was. Though not entirely noticeable, when Katara lined up her legs the big toe from the broken leg was gently leaning on the top of the opposite foot.

"Yeah," Tsuchi said slowly, "can't fix that. I'm actually supposed to be two inches taller. Sorry." Katara simply rolled her eyes and let herself lay on the floor of the cold iron box.

"Tsuchi, didn't you invent metalbending," Sokka inquired, "so shouldn't you be able to bend our way out of this?"

"Tsuchi, mehmena, mehmena, mehmena," she mocked. "Really, Sokka, you expect me to bend my way through three meters of pure metal? I can bend it open, not dig through it, and for god sakes, Zuko, roll her on her side before she chokes!" Hiashi had suddenly begun to throw up, but since no one was paying much attention to her, no one had bothered to do anything about it. Zuko immediately stopped his tantrum to flip her on her side.

"Damn," Sokka gagged at the smell, "that is disgusting!"

"And bend her leg so she doesn't fall on her face," Tsuchi added roughly. "She's already throwing up, the last thing we need is for her to drown in her own puke."

"She's your sister, so you should be taking care of her!" Zuko snarled back.

"She broke Katara's leg and kicked me in the face," she replied harshly, "I'm sure that's taking sibling rivalry to a whole 'nother level."

"You're a horrible sibling!" Zuko growled.

"You think I'm a horrible sibling?" Tsuchi gasped. "As compared to her? Or maybe your own sister?"

"You guys calm down," Katara said from across the prison cell, but the two of them ignored her.

"Who do you think you are to say anything about my family?" Zuko barked back at Tsuchi.

"Bitch, your own sister beat the crap out of you!" Tsuchi snapped. "If you're gonna talked to me about being a horrible sibling or fucked up families, why don't you look in the mirror!"

"My family's just fine!" Zuko shouted. "There are no problems!"

"Oh really?" Tsuchi laughed. "Because the last time I checked, your face says otherwise." Zuko lunged forward, but Sokka jumped in front of him.

"How dare you, you peasant!" Zuko exhorted angrily at her.

"Both of you stop it!" Sokka shouted over the two. "We're stuck in here together and we can't be arguing with each other!"

"Get out of the way," Zuko growled, shoving Sokka against the wall, "this isn't your fight."

"Oh, showing some integrity now are we?" Tsuchi asked. "I'd have sworn the last time you stood up to someone your face got burned." Zuko emitted a loud grumble.

"Tsuchi, knock it off!" Sokka snapped at her. "Just let it go!"

"Sokka, stay out of it!" Tsuchi snapped back.

"You should listen to him," Zuko scorned. "At least he's smart enough to keep his mouth shut!"

"Um, hello, kettle?" Tsuchi said sarcastically. "The pot sent a message, he said you're black."

"What the hell is that supposed to me?" Zuko growled.

"Really?" Tsuchi asked. "Did the logical side of your brain get burned as well, or was it just your face?"

"You son of a—" Zuko lunged forward again, but again only to be stopped by an aggravated Sokka.

"Knock it off, both of you!" Sokka shouted.

"What, you want to start something?" Tsuchi challenged Zuko. "Get over here, I'll fuck you up!"

"Burn in hell, you mudblood yokel!" Zuko gnashed.

"Oh, congratulations, Mr. Fire Lord, you figured out I'm poor!" Tsuchi gasped. "Why don't you tell Katara she's a waterbender while you're at it!"

"Shut your mouth before I make you!" Zuko replied ferociously.

"I'd like to see you try, fire boy!" Tsuchi replied back.

"I'll take you down, half breed!" Zuko reciprocated. The two of them began to yell at each other simultaneously and they soon became nothing more than a large muddle of words, with Sokka as the mediator. Katara rolled her eyes, too numb to stand up and do much about the situation. She glanced over at the forgotten Hiashi, no surprise to her that she would technically start the argument between her sister and Zuko.

_What a jerk_, Katara could not help but think. _She has no compassion for anyone! She's so barbaric! She's— _Katara stopped mid-thought and frowned. Hiashi had started emitting an almost guttural sound, her breathing becoming sharper.

"Hey you guys!" Katara shouted, deciding to skip over subtly trying to get their attention. "You might want to help her!"

"She probably just broke a rib," Tsuchi replied nonchalantly, finally turning away from Zuko. "Even when she doesn't mean to, she still manages to show people up." Tsuchi knelt down and said nothing to her sister, replicating what she had done to Katara, and in less than a few seconds, began attempting to heal her sister. But before Tsuchi had a chance to do anything, Hiashi's hand shot from the ground to Tsuchi's neck.

"Get your fucking hands off me!" Hiashi grumbled in the same guttural sound as her breathing.

"She's just trying to help!" Zuko scolded, but Tsuchi tore here sister's hands from her throat.

"No, hell no!" Tsuchi coughed. "If she's gonna be fucking crazy like than then she can go to hell for all I care. I've been hit too many times in the throat today and the last fucking think I need is for her to asphyxiate me! I hope you puncture your lung, you crazy bitch!" She pushed herself off the floor and away from her sister to sit next to Katara. "Tell your girlfriend she can heal herself!"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Zuko yelled defensively. "I order you to heal your sister."

"Fuck that shit!" Tsuchi snapped back. "Like hell you're the boss of me!"

"For the love of god, both of you put a sock in it!" Sokka hollered. "We're all stuck in here and your bickering is getting on all our nerves, so stop talking to each other now!" Tsuchi and Zuko held a glaring contest, waiting to see who was first to blink.

"Fine by me," Tsuchi mumbled, crossing her arms and looking away. Sokka took a seat in the back of the cell next to his sister, who mouthed a thank you to him. Zuko turned around sharply and continued his shouting at the guards on the outside. Both Sokka and Katara rolled their eyes and silently held a conversation when their gaze met.

Aang was not there. He was trapped in the other world without anyone to bring him back. It was Aang's job to defeat the Fire Lord. It was his destiny. But if it was his destiny, then why was he not there? If Aang was not supposed to kill the Fire Lord, then who was?

'-'

"Fire Lord Ozai," one of the footmen said quietly, "the admirals are ready in the war room. What would you like me to tell them?"

"Tell them I am on my way," Fire Lord Ozai replied calmly. "I shall be no more than a few minutes."

"Yes, sir," the footman nodded, bowed, and left. He did not need any more time. Ozai was proud of himself, for his accomplishments, and secretly he wanted to revel in his own godliness before finishing his, or rather, his grandfather's plan. He adjusted the cuffs of his garments, unnecessarily but habitually, and took one last look in the glossy metal that was a mirror when a figure caught his eye.

"Who are you?" Ozai barked. "Why are you in my chamber?"

"Fire Lord Ozai," the figure clad in violet, silver, and black said in an official tone, "The Universal Resistance has found you and your ancestors guilty of Crimes against Humanity."

"Well, you are a little late," Ozai smirked. "By tomorrow your petty resistance group will not matter for this whole world with be reborn as the Fire Nation, and you can do nothing to stop me."

"Fire Lord Ozai," the figure repeated again just as officially, "the Resistance has deemed you unworthy of leading, bending, and living and for that you are no longer allowed either privilege. The four nations are to be kept separate and by creating a world for the Fire Nation you are mixing the bloodlines."

"Is that what you're most worried about?" Ozai could not help but laugh. "There will be no more nations by the time I am done with this war!"

"Which is why the Resistance has decided you are undeserving," the figure said sternly. "Fire Lord Ozai," The figure breathed, withdrawing an L-shaped metal tool and pointing it to him.

"What are you—" was all Ozai could say before four loud bangs emanated from the tool, shooting four metal pellets into various places on his body. He clutched at the spots that were hit as blood began pouring from the several brand new cavities in his shoulder, leg, and abdomen. He gasped for air as his body went into shock, attempting to grab the wall to prevent himself from falling, but there was nothing to get a hold of and he slipped less than gracefully to the floor.

"Fire Lord Ozai," the figure repeated quietly, now standing over the fallen Fire Lord who stared up at the figure with revulsion, "your privileges have been withdrawn." And before the Fire Lord could react the figure shot two more time, then disappeared into thin air.

'-'


	56. An Unexpected Turn

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter fifty-five: An Unexpected Turn

'-'

Zuko had been pounding on the door for perhaps an hour or so before someone finally responded, whether by coincidence or not, they did not know. "Finally!" he exclaimed when several men opened the door. "We have someone in here that—"

"Prince Zuko," one of the men said somberly, "please, come with us."

"Why?" Zuko replied violently. "Are you going to humiliate me? You don't think you've done enough?"

"No," one of the other men said sternly. "It is your father. Please, come with us." Zuko's eyes widened, as did the other conscious people in the cell. Katara, Sokka, and Tsuchi exchanged a quick glance at each other while Zuko simply nodded and followed the men without question.

"What happened?" Zuko asked immediately upon exiting the jail cell. "What happened to my father?"

"That we are unsure," one of the men replied quietly. "It's something we have never seen before."

"What do you mean nothing you've ever seen before?" Zuko asked urgently. "What happened to him?"

"That's the problem," another said. "A little while ago there was supposed to be a war meeting to finalize the plans for tomorrow. But your father never made it to the meeting. Several guards said they heard loud bangs from within his chamber, but when they entered, they saw the Fire Lord on the floor bleeding. No one else was in the room but him. He's currently in the medical ward and the physicians are trying to figure out what is wrong, or at least what happened." Zuko wanted to run to the ward, but he restrained himself. His father was hurt and no one knew what happened. Was that even possible? Why was there no one in there with him? Why did no one hear talking? Better question, why would his father not defend himself right away? Because his father would not miss footstep or the slightest movement. He was constantly vigilant.

It was an awkward, more uncomfortable silence for Zuko. He had just been beaten by his sister, he was thrown in jail, and now he was being brought to his father. And why would that be? Maybe they believed Zuko could carry out the plans until his father recovered.

Or maybe they thought Zuko was going to have to carry out the plans, since he may be the new Fire Lord.

"How is the Fire Lord?" one of the men asked when they arrived at the hospital wing.

"He's getting worse," a physician replied quietly. "It's becoming harder to find out what happened and how to stop the bleeding. It seems like no matter what we try he keeps bleeding out slowly."

"Did you explain to him what we were going to do?" another one of the men asked. "With Prince Zuko?"

"I did," the physician said reluctantly, "but I'm not sure if he understood what was going on. I've been trying to talk to him for the past fifteen minutes but he won't respond to me. He seems confused and slow to respond."

"What are you going to do with me?" Zuko interrupted. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, as crowned prince it is your job to take your father's position," the first man said. "You must finish the war until your father recovers. Or in worst case scenario, take the throne permanently."

"Let me see my father," Zuko said urgently. "I want to talk to him." The men exchanged glances, but nodded in agreement. The physician led Zuko into the medium sized room that was garnished in red and gold, mostly for luck for the ill person. On a small bed in the back was his father, surrounded by several other physicians and nurses reapplying bandages or pressure to the wounds he had. The last time he had seen his father he was so powerful. His father was a force not to be reckoned with. He was a god. And now he lay helplessly in a hospital bed, attacked by some intruder that no one seemed to see, or even hear. The whole thing was too unreal for him. In any moment he would wake up on his ship, back to his hellish life out at sea, his father getting ready to take over the Earth Kingdom while he got to capture the Avatar.

"Fire Lord Ozai," the main physician said to the crippled man on the bed, "can you hear me?" The man on the bed did not respond but gave an almost startled look. "Fire Lord Ozai, we have your son, Zuko. He's here with us." Again the man on the bed gave no answer, but his breathing became faster and more ragged. "We know you're recovering, so we made arrangements to allow Zuko to take over until you heal. The invasion is tomorrow, so Zuko will take your place commanding the troops until then."

"Don't worry, father," Zuko said quietly, "I'll do my best to carry out your work. You'll be back soon enough."

It was Zuko's word that made the frail man in the bed became the Fire Lord he was supposed to be.

Ozai suddenly became enraged and lunged forward on the bed. The team that was trying to keep him alive suddenly became alert and jumped to restrain the aggravated Fire Lord. "N-n…no!" the Fire Lord growled weakly. "No! Not him! Anyone but him!"

"But Fire Lord Ozai," the physician pleaded, "you're not well! And we need someone to carry out the—"

"Not him!" Ozai continued to grunt. "Not that pitiable boy! He should be dead! It's his mother's fault!" The people in the room exchanged looks of concern and worry, and also embarrassment because Ozai was speaking as if Zuko was not in the room.

"Fire Lord Ozai," the physician said slowly, "he's the first born. The crown prince. Your _son_?"

"Gah!" Ozai gurgled, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. "He is a failure! I have no son! I have no son!"

Zuko did not want to stay and neither did the staff. One of the men that initially brought him to the wing quickly ushered him out of the room while the medical staff quickly tried to fix the Fire Lord who was rapidly worsening within that small timeframe. "Scholar Weizhe," one of the men whispered to the man escorting Zuko out, "take him to the study down the hall, he shouldn't see this." The man nodded and led Zuko down the hall to a large room filled with books and chairs along with a fireplace at the far back. "Do you need anything, Prince Zuko?" the man asked, lighting the fireplace with a light punch. "Are you hungry? Would you like anything to drink?"

"No," Zuko mumbled, staring at the wall next to him. He did not want to do anything. All he could do was listen to his father's words echo in his head.

_I have no son!_

"I can tell you are upset, Prince Zuko," the man sighed, limping over slowly because he was so old. "I don't think anyone should hear their father say that about them. You have to remember, Prince Zuko, he was delirious. He was not sure what he was saying."

"He knew," Zuko mumbled, dragging his feet to the fireplace, "he knew exactly what he was talking about."

"Your father cares about all his children," the man tried to convince Zuko. "I'm sure he does."

"No, he wants Azula to carry out his plans," Zuko mumbled, now staring into the fire in the hearth. "He thinks I'm going to mess everything up. Like I always do."

"Now that's not true," the old man reprimanded. "You do plenty well."

"If that was true, he wouldn't have disowned me," Zuko simply said. The man pursed his lips and scrunched his face in thought.

"Are you sure you're doing the right thing, Prince Zuko?" the man asked.

"What do you mean?" Zuko muttered into the fire.

"Prince Zuko, when I was your age I felt it was my calling to be a great merchant," the old man smiled. "But my father would not have it. He was a scholar, his father was a scholar, his father's father was a scholar, and so forth. So I followed what my father told me. I listened to him and followed in his footsteps."

"I don't know what that's supposed to mean," Zuko murmured, still staring intently into the fire.

"My life has been dull," the man responded firmly. "Every day I wake and wonder if it was all worth it. I am not happy with my life. Do you think I enjoy spending my days around books and papers? No, I do not. I miss the human contact. The only reason I became a scholar was because I wanted to please my father, but in the end, I would not say it is worth it."

"You don't understand," Zuko growled at the man, the fire slightly grew. "I am the heir to the throne, the son of the Fire Lord. Three generations of men who have thrown themselves into their work. I have to do this, but he won't give me the time of day. I'm not his son."

"Prince Zuko, I remember why he exiled you," the scholar said quietly. "You spoke out against him. You stood up to defend a novice troop. You are not like your father or your ancestors. You feel compassion."

"I hate compassion," Zuko said in his low voice. "It hasn't done anything for me."

"Yes it has, Prince Zuko," the old man smirked taking a spot next to Zuko, but still giving him space. "You are not meant to be a tyrant, Prince Zuko. Do you realize what you can do?"

"My father's plan needs to be carried out," Zuko said curtly. "One hundred years of work can't go down the drain."

"Prince Zuko, I believe I remember you as a child," the old man said loudly enough to try and convince Zuko. "You were always the opposite of your family. You had good intentions for everything you wanted to do. Do you really believe conquering the whole world will really make things better between you and your father? What has this war done to you? To anyone you know? Honestly, is this the right thing for you?"

"Yes, it is!" Zuko replied more assertively. "It's been my destiny to carry out my father's plans."

"No, it's not," the scholar sighed. "Speak to your uncle. He knows exactly what I mean."

"Excuse me, Scholar Weizhe," one of the physicians from earlier said from the door.

"Yes, Physician Jian?" the old man acknowledged. The man walked in slowly but stayed near the door. "Sir, what is it?" the scholar asked. "How is the Fire Lord?

The physician took a deep breath and answered: "Fire Lord Ozai is dead. He declared Azula as the new Fire Lord."

'-'

"You wouldn't be breathing like that if you had just let me heal you," Tsuchi said loudly from the back of the jail cell to Hiashi. "I can breathe just fine. Not sure about you though."

"Tsuchi, do you mind?" Katara whispered. "I'm trying to sleep."

"What time is it anyways?" Tsuchi asked. "There's no window in here."

"It's late," Katara hissed. "There's not much we can do." Katara closed her eyes again and fell back asleep. Tsuchi laid back and relaxed herself on the cold floor, listening to her sister wheeze on the other side.

"T…Tsuchi," Hiashi cracked quietly.

"Let me guess," Tsuchi whispered dramatically, "you actually want my help."

"I don't want to ask," Hiashi breathed, "but yes."

"What do you say?" Tsuchi asked childishly.

"Please," Hiashi replied curtly. "Do you mind helping me?"

"Fine, but don't you dare try to strangle me." Tsuchi stood up quietly so as not to disturb Katara or Sokka and took a seat next to Hiashi. As quickly as she could, she prodded around her sister's rib cage until she heard the sharp gasp she wanted to hear. "This is going to hurt," she informed swiftly, "don't flinch, try not to scream." With little care and concern, Tsuchi grabbed the part with the broken rib, pushed up and bended the bones back into place.

"God, damn it to the fucking bowels of hell!" Hiashi growled, slamming her fists into the floor. "Shit damn it!"

"Do you mind?" Tsuchi reprimanded. "Can you not?"

"That hurt!" Hiashi fumed. "Are you just doing this because you were infuriated at me?"

"Oh, here we go," Tsuchi rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, you think I intentionally hurt you just because I'm mad at you? Why don't you go back to your little self centered world where everyone smells like ass? Because if you're going to talk to me like that then I'll just break your ribs again."

"Of course that's what you'd say," Hiashi mumbled. "That's what they all say."

"Really?" Tsuchi scoffed. "You're going to get all emotional on me? 'Oh, I'm Hiashi, and people don't like me! I've got a hard life!' Bullshit! From the short time I've known you, you've got the same reaction to everything, including now—"

"How am I supposed to react?" Hiashi snarled at her. "I'm trapped here with you. I shouldn't be here!"

"Can you not interrupt me and just listen?" Tsuchi asked.

"No!" Hiashi snapped. "I don't get it. Everywhere I go, everywhere I am, there's someone there to tell me I'm a failure, that I shouldn't exist. It happened at Engoku, with Sureiyaa. It happened with Zuko, it happened everywhere. God, why am I so unlucky?"

"I never said you were a fucking failure," Tsuchi sighed. "Stop twisting my words and stop thinking like a pessimist."

"Then how do I think?" she retorted. "God, if dad never came here, if ne never joined the stupid army in the first place, this would have never happened."

"Then you wouldn't exist," Tsuchi said.

"Leave me be," Hiashi grumbled, turning her head away from her. Tsuchi rolled her eyes.

"Hiashi, what's the real problem?" Tsuchi asked. "Why do you show so much spite to dad, to anyone for that matter? I'm trying to be a nice sister, but from the start, you've been keeping me out. And that's annoying. Can you at least trust your sister?"

Hiashi did not answer right away. She placed her hands over her tired eyes and rubbed them. "I can't trust anyone," she answered quietly. "Never in my life could I. Dad never could understand me. He killed mom even before I could talk to her. I was stuck with him my whole life. I had no one. I still have no one."

"Dad had to do it. It wasn't intentional. He and mom only wanted the best for us, for the village. If he hadn't then the whole village could have been destroyed."

"But why?" Hiashi asked rhetorically. "Why couldn't he think of something else? A better plan or something."

"He didn't want to hurt anyone," Tsuchi replied. "That's why things were the way they were. I stayed, and—"

"I went!" Hiashi growled. "He had to ruin my life! What was left of it, anyways. He knew how much I hated him for what he did, so why of all things did he take me?"

"You were the oldest and he owed it to you," Tsuchi tried to convince her. "Try and understand that."

"But it still ruined me!" Hiashi hissed. "Imagine if I had never left! Engoku was the worst place that ever happened to me. The people were the most ghastly that I have ever met. It was the same thing, repeatedly. I wanted to kill them all. Why was I such a failure? Why was I a piece of useless rubbish? They were just like me." She stopped for a moment. "Damn world," she said quietly. "It makes absolutely no sense."

"Wait, what doesn't make sense?" Tsuchi asked curiously.

"Society," Hiashi replied. "It irks me. I don't understand. Every time I have someone telling me how I've failed, how I am such a loser, such a smart ass. No one takes me seriously. Zuko is always bashing on me about how I am an idiot, Sureiyaa was always telling me to go kill myself. I've been nearly murdered about nine times. Even though I get away, I'm not unscathed. Look at me. My leg's been stabbed so many times it's getting harder and harder to move it."

"I wouldn't have guessed that," Tsuchi mumbled. "You usually manage to move pretty well without a cane."

"It's walking I have a problem with," Hiashi mumbled. "During combat I can manage to gain enough momentum to run on one leg, and most of my kicking is with the dead leg anyways. Actually, I wouldn't be able to stand right now. My legs are so sore right now I can feel the blood being pumped." She grabbed the leg that was not crippled and rubbed her calf to relieve some tension. "I can't get out of this loop. God, it sucks. Why does this world and any of the other worlds I've been to have such an inaccurate way of perfection? They disgust me." She spat of the floor. "Damn racists. I should have killed them a long time ago."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Tsuchi raised her eyebrow. "You want to kill people? What kind of person says that?"

Hiashi again did not answer right away. "It wouldn't be the first time," she said nonchalantly. "I swear humanity should be destroyed for their insidious views! I can't stand it! It's times like this I wish I was dead! Or at least had the courage to kill myself."

"Shut up," Tsuchi said angrily. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Like anyone would care or even notice I'm gone!" she reiterated. "No one ever did! All I was seen as was a filthy, ignominious half-breed! Nothing more! No one cared, no one liked me! I'm nothing! I'm society's trash! This world would be better off without me." She paused for a moment. "It's not like I haven't tried a million times. After dad was killed, I tried to slit my wrist, but I'm such a damn coward I couldn't do it myself. So I went trying to pick fights, but I always fought back full throttle. Not sure why. I'm so useless. I see why Zuko hates me. I see why everyone hates me."

"I don't hate you," Tsuchi said bluntly. "Not really, anyways."

"Don't lie, asshole," Hiashi grumbled. "Look what I did to you, to… that waterbender over there. I heard what you said to Zuko, you must hate me."

"You heard that?" Tsuchi asked somberly.

"I was in pain, not unconscious," Hiashi replied harshly. "Even people I've tried to be nice to turn on me eventually. So what makes you any different?"

"You're my sister?" she answered bluntly. "Even though I just learned your name like half an hour ago doesn't mean I can't think of you as family. That's what you are, and I can't hate that."

"You're a fucking liar," Hiashi ridicule. "I hated dad, so you can hate me."

"Don't call me a liar, jackass!" Tsuchi retorted. "You want me to hate you, I'll hate you, but don't call me no fucking liar."

"Come off it!" Hiashi hissed. "At one point in our life we lie. See it's reasons like that that make me so irate with this world. People are so imperfect, yet they get mad. But then they do the same thing. They're such hypocrites. They don't bother to see their flaws. It's all about everyone else. For once it's about everyone else. No one knows what I've been through, what I've seen. Maybe if they woke up one morning to find the head of someone they loved on their door step, they'd have a second opinion. Maybe if they saw their mother getting murdered in front of them at such a young age they'd understand my pain. Maybe if they faced beatings from Sureiyaa or some other gang members I called friends, they'd shut up. If they lost their father, or were degraded by some immature soldier, they'd think twice.

"But no. No one understands. No one bothers to think about what the other went through. No one bothers to think that maybe there's some kind of reason behind their problems. Maybe there's a reason for their anger, their sadness, their confusion, whatever it may be. No. They don't want to know. They just want you to be like them. They want you to be perfect. It doesn't matter how much you lost, how many people hurt you or how long you've been deprived of human contact. It doesn't matter. You still have to act up to their standards. Why can't it work out that way? What is wrong with these people? Can't they just see what I see? For once, can they see what I have gone through, what I had to go through for the past seventeen years of my life?" Hiashi's voice began to crack and she inhaled deeply. "They don't know how hard I've fought to keep myself emotionally controlled. I've tried my hardest not to cry, not to show any form of weakening. I haven't shed a tear, I haven't shown any sign of falter yet I'm still a failure according to them. I can't get over it. I've been trying to get over it for the past fourteen years… Why can't they see that?"

Tsuchi raised one eyebrow at her sister. She had to think of the right words, but she was unsure was to say. "Are you serious?" she finally blurted. "Are you freaking serious? Do you remember grandma? Remember how much of a bitch she was the first time you met her?"

"Not really," Hiashi mumbled, but Tsuchi continued.

"Grandma's a bitch," she said candidly. "She's a prick and a prude, and she's probably a demonic spirit in disguise. Since as far back I can remember she beat me with this bamboo baton she had. I think the first time she did it I was five and I had just discovered scissors, and I cut the dress she made me along with my hair. She hit me like five time. I went crying to my aunt and she told me mom use to get hit all the time too. So I decided: I can either be obedient and grow up like the proper lady grandma wants me to be, or I can be the person I want to be and face getting hit from time to time. Nine, ten years later what do you think I chose? See? Look here." Tsuchi lifted her shirt slightly to show her lower back to be covered in light colored bruises and several large scratches. "Yeah, it hurt when I was younger, but after a while I figured with my lifestyle comes pain. And frankly I was okay with it. I wanted to live like that and I'm happy. So if I have to get beat so be it.

"That there's your problem. Sure people have lied and said some nasty things to you, but because of that you think everything is a lie. And that's your fault because of the life you chose. What is this gang stuff you're talking about? I hung out with a bunch of people. Yeah there were cracks about me being half blooded and there were people who hated me, but other than that I was happy. My friends liked me. Why would you think a gang would be the best place for you? Obviously if they're there then they're fucked up in the head." Tsuchi stretched her arms and stood up. "Take or leave what I said. I'm tired and I'm going to sleep. Peace." She walked to the back corner where Sokka and Katara were and plopped herself down next to them and quickly passed out. Hiashi did not. Instead she closed her eyes, trying to clear her head of what her sister just told her.

_She's ridiculous_, Hiashi thought. _She has no idea what she was saying. She assumes she knows how I feel, but she doesn't. Her pain was nothing compared to mine._ Hiashi sighed. _The day I need you, Kyyoku. I miss you…_

'-'


	57. Networking and a Change of Heart

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional. Except when noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits, all celebrities voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter fifty-six: Networking and a Change of Heart

'-'

It was the next morning, or what they assumed to be the next morning for there was no window. They were not given any food yet so either it was still early or it was past the first meal time. Maybe they were just being treated inhumanly, but they did not know. The group simply sat in anxious silence. Sozin's comet was to come today. They were trapped in a jail cell and Aang was nowhere to be found. Escape was inevitable, even with Tsuchi's newly discovered metalbending. And for their unfortunate luck they were only left with what they had on their backs—

"Sokka," Tsuchi said suddenly into the silence, "do you mind me asking you something?"

"What?" Sokka replied, stretching his arms and fanning himself. "Make it quick. The metal's making me sticky."

"Do you happen to know where you keep that sword that gets us places?" she asked with subtle curiosity.

"Usually next to me," he said slowly. "Why?"

"Where next to you?" she asked just as slow.

"In my jacket right here—" As if it dawned on everyone in the cell, everyone's head rolled to look at Sokka, who had inadvertently made everyone in that jail cell feel smarter than they felt thirty seconds ago.

"So let me comprehend this," Hiashi started from the front of the cell, "we've been in here for several hours. Your own sister was impaired and needed help. _I _was injured and needed help. Your friend is mislaid. The comet is expected today. They took all our artillery. And you've had your knife that not only can cut through any matter know to man, but space _itself_, and you didn't know it?"

Sokka was still frozen with his hand in the fold of his top, fiddling the handle of the knife he forgot he had. "Pretty much," Sokka cracked, still staring out into space.

"Are you retarded?" Hiashi reprimanded, but no one disagreed.

"Retrospectively," Sokka said slowly, "probably."

"Well, wait a minute," Katara intervened, "what about you, Hiashi? You're with Zuko. You're fighting against us. Why should we let you out?"

"Zuko isn't here," Hiashi muttered. "When the cat is away, the mice come out to play."

"Yeah, but you forget you're a cat too," Sokka mumbled under his breath. "A cat that could strike the mice at any time."

"Like I really heed Zuko," Hiashi scoffed. "He's not here and I want to get out."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to support your crime spree, but you're just going to turn on him like that?" Tsuchi frowned. "Even after he gave you shelter and food? I mean, not initially, but you work for him in exchange for a lot of things, and you're going to join us? So how are we going to believe you when you say you'll join us?"

"You're correct not to trust me," Hiashi replied frankly, "but how many times do I have to remind you people that I have utterly nothing to gain from any of this? Besides, Zuko's an ass. Like I care what he says."

"Still," Tsuchi interrupted. "He did give you a roof. And he saved you from Engoku. Can't you just show some loyalty to him?" Hiashi rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she mumbled. "Do you even know what you guys are going to do? You have only a few hours to figure out what to do, and you don't have the Avatar to help you. Who's going to eradicate the Fire Lord? Who's going to trounce him? You need someone really stalwart or at least more than one individual to fight him. Then you have a prospect of multiple attacks on the Earth Kingdom just as a final blow. It can't just be you guys. You know the Earth Kingdom army's going to do whatever they can to hold the Fire Nation off, but they can only do so much. It's not like there's ample people. You three are pretty much going to be the only ones fighting the Fire Lord and his army, and maybe several Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom brigades. Other than that, you guys are outnumbered." The three of them hung their heads, for they knew what she said was true.

"Who says it has to be only us?" Katara said quietly. The rest of them turned to look at her.

"Katara, what do you mean?" Sokka inquired.

"Well, who says it just has to be us?" Katara repeated. "We traveled everywhere, to different planets, and you can't tell me no one would want to help us?"

"I'm pretty sure we left some bad impressions everywhere," Tsuchi answered.

"No, we made a lot of friends!" Katara defended. "We met a lot of people, changed a lot of lives! You can't tell me that no one would want to help us!"

"Katara, think about it!" Tsuchi exclaimed. "Think about what we've done: we got a little girl killed and had their town ambushed in one world, we killed the king of another world, ruined a hotel in another, woke some evil spirit in another, got _another_ person killed in another, ruined the reputation of someone and got a criminal record in another, got a _fourth_ person killed in another, and another person got hurt. And that was only in the worlds where we had human contact. So you're going to tell me they're going to be okay with us coming back for help?"

"You're only thinking of the negative!" Katara defended. "They really liked us in the first world. And we left payment at the hotel. That king who died was an evil dictator and we saved them from him. That spirit you said we woke up was already there, and the girl whose reputation you said we ruined was going to be washed over in a few days anyways. Two of those deaths and the injuries weren't our fault, they were hers," she added, pointing to Hiashi who simply grunted, "and Esperanza wasn't our fault either."

"You may say that, but I think Sokka would disagree," Tsuchi replied. Sokka turned away from them.

"Of course it was our fault," Sokka growled. "She didn't need to die. We led them on and they killed her for us."

"Sokka, I don't mean to sound rude, but she was probably going to die even if we weren't there," Katara sighed.

"What would make you say that?" Sokka yelled at his sister. "She could have lived if we hadn't have gone there!"

"Sokka, those people were praying for rain," Katara tried to reason with him. "They would have done it anyways, just with someone else."

"It doesn't matter now," Tsuchi muttered, relaxing her head on the frame of the cell. "We have no resources."

"Yes you do," Hiashi said suddenly. This time the heads turned to her.

"What do you mean?" Sokka snapped at her.

"Every world we've waylaid you there was always someone to protect you. It didn't matter where it was, there was always something. The world with the other elemental benders, the one with the gay looking midgets, the one with the pale people and the really bright place, the one with the talking animals, all of them. There's always someone to defend you whether they like you or not. You guys have a network and I think you should work with it."

"Okay then," Katara declared, "let's do it. Let's ask them for help."

"Alrighty then," Tsuchi groaned, standing up and dusting the wrinkles off her pants. "First off, let's get out of here."

'-'

"Where are we going now?" Zuko asked the men who were escorting him out of the building. There were only three of them, keeping him on a short leash so he would not escape. "Where are you taking me?"

"Asking Fire Lord Azula what we should do with you now," one of the men said, muffled from the face mask. "Originally Fire Lord Ozai was to decide your punishment, but now that he died, she shall make the decision."

"Her coronation isn't until tomorrow," Zuko snarled. "She's not Fire Lord yet!"

"In this type of emergency, she has that power," another of the men said simply. They kept walking until they were at the courtyard near the pier where Azula and the troops were preparing for their departure. Azula had not been taken across by the palanquin bearers yet and was still situated near the front.

"Fire Lord Azula," one of the men spoke after bowing in her presence, "we have Prince Zuko here with us."

"Oh, little Zu-zu," Azula mocked from behind the curtain. "I assume he heard the news. Sorry that father made me the heir to the throne, but the best did deserve it." Zuko bit his lip hard to keep himself from saying anything.

"What would you like us to do with him, Fire Lord Azula?" another of the men asked.

"Throw him back in jail," she replied roughly. "I don't even know why you took him out in the first place. He serves no use to the Fire Nation." The men nodded and went to take Zuko back to his cell, but he would not stand for it.

"How dare you say that, Azula!" Zuko shouted. "I should have been the Fire Lord, not you! I should be leading this invasion! I'm more useful than you!"

"If that was true, you'd be Fire Lord," Azula shrugged. "But you're not. And I am. Get over it. And remember this, Zuko: the Fire Nation does not want you to fight with them. They want winners. Take him away." The men grabbed Zuko and mostly dragged him away.

His father did not want him. His sister did not want him. And according to her, the Fire Nation did not want him. They wanted winners. They thought him useless. He was not useless. He was useful.

And he would prove it.

"In you go!" the soldier said to Zuko, pushing him into the cell. "They'll probably let you out after the invasion." They closed the door quickly behind him and left without another word.

"Zuko," Hiashi's voice sounded from the floor. Zuko turned to yell at her when he suddenly realized: she was the only one in the cell.

"What happened?" Zuko asked with confusion. "Where are the other three?"

"They escaped," Hiashi said nonchalantly. "I was to stay here and inform you of the plan in case you get back and wanted to help."

"The plan? What plan?" Zuko snapped.

"The plan to oust the Fire Lord," she replied in the same tone. "They went to go recruit more people to take him down. But I sort of thought it'd be a bit contentious for you, him being your father and all."

"My father's dead," Zuko growled. "He was murdered." Suddenly Hiashi's head shot up.

"Are you serious?" she gasped with unadulterated concern for once. "What happened?"

"I don't know," he mumbled, pacing around in the metal box. "No one knows what happened. That's why they got me."

"So what happened with you?" she asked quickly. "What's going to happen with you?"

"Nothing," he snapped at her. "My father disowned me with his final words and dubbed my sister Azula as Fire Lord." He punched the wall with a fist of fire, and simply stayed there to stare at the wall. "My sister called me useless to the Fire Nation, and told them to stick me in here so I wouldn't interfere. I have nothing." Zuko took a ragged deep breath, but said nothing else.

"Zuko," she sighed, attempting to climb her way up the wall to get into a standing position, "you can get your throne back. If Azula's the Fire Lord now, shouldn't you want to fight even more?"

"Maybe," he mumbled, but still didn't look away from the wall.

"Listen," she grunted, finally getting herself up off the floor and limping to Zuko, "your dagger is sitting in that corner over there." She pointed to the far end of the jail cell to a heap of black cloth. "I managed to acquire it when the other three escaped. They ambushed the people who had our possessions. I'm astounded you didn't notice they were gone coming over here. They couldn't get my cane, thought. But anyways, you got one of two options: you can either fight with the Fire Nation and gain nothing, or you can fight with them and get your thrown back."

"I'm not fighting against my country," he muttered.

"You're not fighting against it," she explained, "you're fighting to get it back! You can't tell me that your sister will do a fine job. Zuko, you're the crown prince, you need to be the Fire Lord, not her."

"That's not the point—"

"Yes, it is the point," she hissed. "To be honest, what good has this war done for you? It's given you nothing but hell, and it's the same for me. For a lot of people. Your uncle lost his son, I lost everything, you lost your father's respect, so why are you going to support this? Have a little integrity for once in your god damn life and defend your fucking honor! You talk nonstop honor this, honor that, and now you have an opportunity to do something about it! Zuko, now is your chance to regain power! Fight for your rightful place on the throne!"

"Why are you suddenly telling me this?" Zuko asked rudely. "First you convince me to capture the Avatar, and now you want me to fight against my country. Why are you doing this?"

"Zuko, do you recall what I told you a few months ago when I told you that one of us should get out with everything?" she said quietly, grabbing his face to turn him around like she had done so many times before. "I'm sticking to my pledge. Right now you have nothing going for you. If you fight your sister, with the Avatar's side, you can regain your birthright. I swore to you, and I won't break it."

Zuko tore his gaze from the floor and looked up at Hiashi, believing her words and hoping they were true. "I can't believe you want to keep your promise. Not after everything we've gone through."

"I never break a promise," Hiashi sighed, dropping her hand from his face. "You just need to make a decision. Are you willing to fight against the Fire Nation to regain your birthplace?" Zuko took a deep breath, but nodded slightly.

"It doesn't seem right," Zuko mumbled.

"You talk about your destiny, Zuko, and your destiny is on that throne." Hiashi was unsure of what else to say to him. She could only try to convince him for so long.

"What about you," he finally asked. "Where are you going to go?"

"Who knows," she shrugged. "I'm going to permit the outcome of the war to decide that. But for now, Zuko, you need to get us out of here. I know where they are, and you need to cut us out of here." Zuko strode over to the heap of clothes and shook them, allowing the dagger to drop with a clank.

"Do you know how thick this wall is?" he asked, unsheathing his knife.

"I'm not quite sure," she frowned. "You can slice through the front door; no one's guarding us anymore." Zuko stabbed the door hinges and cut through the door with ease.

"Hiashi," Zuko said quietly after kicking the door down, "do me a favor."

"A favor?" she frowned. "Sure, what is it?" Zuko bit his already swollen lip, debating on whether or not he should say what he wanted to say. "Zuko, what is it? We don't have much time."

Zuko took a deep breath and finally said, "Just don't… if we're going to do this, don't leave my side."

"Fine, whatever," she replied quickly.

"I'm serious!" he involuntarily shouted at her, turning away from the door to face her. "Don't leave my side! Not for a second." Hiashi was confused. Why he did not want her to leave his side went over her head, but she nodded slowly to comfort him.

"I promise, Zuko, I won't leave your side, "she said with stressed reluctance.

"Thank you," he mumbled, now darting his head to the door. "I think someone heard us. We better leave now." And without thinking, and to Hiashi's surprise, Zuko grabbed her arm and ran out of the jail cell, grabbing her cane on the way out. Their last battle had finally come, but neither of them would have thought they would be fighting for the other side. If they succeeded, the war would be over, and Zuko would have his throne.

But if they lost…

Neither of them wanted to think what may happen…

'-'

"I hope for your sake that this war is over soon," Dr. Light said quietly to the trio who gathered her and the rest. "I gave you an army at my disposal, and I do not want them killed."

"We promise that no one should get hurt," Katara tried to convince the woman, but no one could believe her.

"I'm so down to fuck some bucket heads up," Horicon stated, cocking his trademark 'rifle.'

"I'm sensing a strong energy force," Arekin added, flexing his fingers and creating a larger than normal flame in his hands. "My pyrokinetics seem stronger than usual. Why is that?"

"It's Sozin's comet," Tsuchi answered him. "The Fire Nation is going to use it to increase their strength so that they can take over the Earth Kingdom."

"I am still unsure why they are only pyrokinetics, but they put the rest of the elementals to shame," Arekin growled. Osric reached out and grabbed his friend's shoulder roughly to shake him out of his anger.

"I'll lead the wolf army, Liiri and I," Souixe announced. "The queen agreed, but only because she did not want anyone from this world to visit her country anymore."

"We swear, we'll see what we can do," Sokka nodded to her. "You can go with Screech and Blu. Screech's a shape-shifter, so she can probably disguise herself as a soldier. We can use her to infiltrate the brigade that may be attacking the Earth Kingdom."

"Well, no, wait a minute," Screech interrupted, transforming into her human self, "you have one person missing. The bald one."

"Yeah, where's Aang?" Hasmik asked, readjusting her frames.

"He's not with us right now," Katara answered somberly. "He may not be with us, which is why we need your help. Aang was supposed to take on the Fire Lord, but he got lost on our way here, and we don't know where he is. We will all head out to the Earth Kingdom, but we three will take care of the Fire Lord ourselves, since Aang's not here to—"

"If this Fire Lord is as powerful as you say he is, then you three shouldn't be fighting him yourself," Arekin asserted. "Several from my troop can help you guys. Astrid, Marcellus, will you please join them?" The two of them nodded and went to go stand with them.

"I know this isn't your battle, but we thank you all so much for helping us with our fight to conquer our world again," Katara told the crowd. "We know you do not have to be here to help us, but we appreciate it nonetheless. I hope though that this war can help bring inter-terrestrial relations closer together."

"Alright!" Horicon shouted now as the rest of the people cheered and howled. "Let's do this!"

'-'


	58. On the Third Day

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's Note: As you are all going to notice in the next few pages, most of the stuff that will be said in this and the next chapter will be mostly construed from the series finale. Some examples may be the whole ensnarement of the ships, and some other things which I'm pretty sure you can guess. So if you think I'm not that creative in thinking of my own ending, you're darn right I'm not. On with the chapter.

Chapter fifty-seven: On the Third Day...

'-'

"The sky's on fire," Tsuchi said quietly to the group as everyone watched the comet skim the surface of the mesosphere. "It's eerie."

"I feel empowered," Marcellus breathed, flexing his hands into a large flame. "Arekin is stronger than I, so he must have sensed it earlier, but I feel it now."

"Does that mean all the pyrokinetics will be stronger?" Astrid asked with worry.

"Yes," Sokka murmured. "That's why they waited for today, so they could draw strength from the meteor."

"How awful," she whispered, flattening her palms. "I hope the water will help me today. Katara, you're a hydrokinetic, yes?"

"Yeah, why?" Katara frowned.

"Come here," Astrid sighed. "I usually do this with Arekin, but he's not here. I'm new to hydrokinesis, so I do an energy exchange with a more experienced one. Marcellus is pyro and terrakinetic, so he can't help me."

"You know he only does that for you 'cuz you're his cousin," Marcellus interrupted. "He doesn't do that for Osric, not even Chana."

"I wouldn't know what to do," Katara replied. "I mean, I don't know how to do an energy exchange."

"Just hold your hands out like this," Astrid explained, holding both hands vertical in front of her, palms facing outward. Katara mirrored her pose, and Astrid placed the tips of her fingers against Katara's and closed her eyes. Katara was unsure of what to do, especially since Astrid was possibly wasting precious time they did not have. "Katara, please relax," Astrid said suddenly. "Your stress is blocking Chi and I'm- I'm really not getting anything." Katara glared at Astrid, wanting to explain why she could not relax, but she sighed and simply let it go. Katara allowed herself to relax a bit and permitted Astrid to do what she wanted. And almost as quickly Katara felt a sudden surge of what felt like electricity pass through her fingertips. The sensation lasted only for a few seconds before Astrid finally dropped her hands and nodded. "Thank you, Katara," she smiled, turning back to look into the ocean.

"What was that?" Sokka mumbled to his sister when Katara situated herself on his side.

"I don't know but it felt weird," Katara whispered lowly. "Not weird in a bad way, but in a good way."

"Katara, is that your way of telling us you're on the other side of the fence?" Tsuchi whispered back. "Because if it is, someone's going to be really upset."

"What? What are you talking about?" Katara hissed. "I mean, she told me to relax and suddenly I felt this influx of energy. I really think something happened."

"Look," Tsuchi intervened, turning and pointing to a spot several meters away. Off in the distance were several war balloons taking off from the shore. "Let's roll." The group moved quickly and surreptitiously, to each their own method of travel. Both Katara and Astrid chose to travel by the ocean that was adjacent to them, while Marcellus and Tsuchi traveled on earth, Sokka right by Tsuchi's side. There was a solace knowing that the other group was waiting in the Earth Kingdom for the next attacks, but the initial assault would be the worst. They had no idea what could happen and to be going in blind was dangerous. But it had to be done. Aang was not there to defeat the Fire Lord and even if he was there, there was no plan of action. Aang would not kill him so any effort to do so would be fruitless. And to simply lock up the second most powerful man on the planet, only second to the Avatar, would also be ludicrous, since he would probably break out anyways. There was only one of two options, and if there was a third option it would make Aang's life easier. But as they learned over the months, easy was never an option.

They arrived too late to ambush them on the ground. Their only option would be to sneak onto a ship and eradicate the soldiers from the inside. But there were just too many ships to take over, tens of ships lined up already taking off. To even manage to take down the number of ships would require them to split up, but none of them were strong enough to take down that many soldiers solitary. Sokka motioned to Katara and Astrid to join them out of the water and on the beach right under the exiting Fire Nation ships. "Marcellus, you go with Katara to that ship!" Sokka yelled loudly to the dark man, pointing to the most outer ship above them.

"You got it," Marcellus replied, grabbing Katara's arms without hesitation and launching them in the air to the balloon safely.

"Us three will take that ship," he said to the remaining girls, motioning to the ship farthest away.

"I can get us there," Tsuchi nodded. She shifted the sand under them and soon enough they were surfing, and then being launched into the air to the designated vessel.

"What's our plan of attack?" Astrid said quickly once they touch landed on the ship's deck.

"We ambush the people controlling the ship," Sokka said simply. "We get control of the ship, we get control of the attack."

"But what about the other half a million ships out there?" Tsuchi snorted. "We've got maybe two of possibly twenty ships which each contain a guesstimated a hundred and fifty soldiers, which average out to maybe a fleet of three thousand people against, what, five?"

"Calm down, we just need to take out the ships," Sokka said in a rush, pushing past them and heading for the ship's interior. "Astrid, you come with me to the control center. Tsuchi, start cutting a hole at the bottom of the ship. If we get control of the ship I'm going to try and round up everyone on board so we can get rid of them." Astrid followed Sokka to the inside of the ship. There were many corridors for the small war balloon, but the path they took was at least simple. There was a large door that looked suspicious to them at the end of one of the long halls, which to them was obvious as to what it led to.

"Sokka," Astrid whispered lowly as they approached the door, "you are not trained in any kinesis. What exactly are you going to be doing?"

"Look, I understand you'll be doing most of the fighting," Sokka frowned, "but just bear with me for now, please?" Astrid scowled at him, but nodded in agreement. "Now I'm going to knock on the door. When he answers it, I want you to attack. Got it?"

"I've never taken on more than three people by myself," Astrid hissed at Sokka, "but I'll see what I can do." Sokka and Astrid hid on either side of the door and Sokka knocked generously and loudly. Only a split second after Sokka had knocked there were footsteps approaching the door slowly. Sokka nodded in encouragement to Astrid as the door squeaked open loudly.

"For the last time, Officer Cheng, the answer is no," the man who opened the door shouted. He looked around suspiciously when he initially saw no one, but his scan soon forced his gaze on Astrid. "INTRUD—" was all the man could say before he found himself thrown against the wall by a powerful blast of air. Despite her qualms about fighting alone, Astrid brought her fists together in front of her and made a large frontward circle before flicking her fingers at the remaining three guards and sending them flying through the windows.

"That was amazing!" Sokka exclaimed after hogtying the man who had not been blown off the ship. "I mean, I've seen Aang do his airbending, but he usually looks like he's gonna get dizzy, but you! You hardly had to do anything and BAM! They were out! That's incredible!"

"Yeah, I have no idea what Aang does," Astrid shrugged, grabbing a hold of the steering wheel. "But he does manage to make himself fly and run really fast from what I remember of him. See, I can't do that. I just control air." Sokka quickly grabbed the microphone for the ship's intercom system and began to address the crew on board.

"Attention crew!" Sokka boomed in a clearly faked voice. "This is your captain speaking! Everybody report to the bomb bay immediately for hotcakes and sweet cream! We have a very special birthday to celebrate!" He hung up the microphone and Astrid let out a loud laugh when it was safe. "What?" Sokka asked defensively. "Why are you laughing?"

"You do realize these people are ready to invade, destroy, and kill an innocent civilization, and you just invited them for a small birthday celebration? Who does that?"

"Well, we'll just see what happens!" Sokka sneered, crossing his arms dramatically. A few minutes passed with not much activity. Sokka was listening intently at the door, listening for the signs of the crew filing to the bomb bay, while Astrid continued steering the ship. It was not long before the outside of the ship was buzzing with the sound of people. "Come on, Tsuchi," Sokka mumbled to himself, "drop these people… drop these people…" Sokka could feel himself become anxious when suddenly—

_SCREEH_. A cacophonous metal-on-metal noise erupted from the ship followed by the sound of men and women screaming while falling.

"I'm suddenly realizing we're making too much noise," Sokka groaned, looking outside at the other ships. None of them seemed to be paying any attention to them, so hopefully luck was on their side. "So," he sighed, drifting away from the window and to Astrid's side, "just curious, you know, with your super bending and—"

"Kinesis," Astrid corrected, "what I do is kinesis. What your sister does is bending. Though I'm not sure what the difference is."

"Well, with your _kinesis_ and whatnot," Sokka stressed, "have you ever… you know… I don't know… killed anyone, maybe?"

"Please don't ask me about that," Astrid squeaked. "I have to for my job. It's almost mandatory. Arekin says if you can't kill a person the right way, then you have no entitlement to be a soldier."

"What do you mean the right way?" Sokka frowned. "There's a right way to kill a person?"

"Yes," Astrid sighed. "You need to know who needs to be killed, which is usually the most powerful of the people, then you need to know if they should be killed, because you can't just kill them in self defense. But you also can't do it in cold blood, even if it is in self defense. A kill must be just in so many ways, which is why Claudius was banished after he killed Melek, as opposed to being executed. You need to know if the death of this person would benefit everyone and not just you. If this person is a danger to everyone, and they have done much damage to _many_ people and will continue to do so, then of course they must be killed. For example, this Fire Lord of yours must be killed. But if he were to die on some other account and someone else takes his place, then that person could not be killed, unless they had a record equivalent to the Fire Lord. And if you do have to kill a person, if you feel bad about it then you are entitled to be a soldier. But if you feel no guilt or if you feel too much guilt, then you are not emotionally balanced enough. There's a whole science behind killing that many people do not know about. People kill and don't realize that by doing so you just add to aggression."

Sokka's face fell, but he nodded in agreement. "You know, Aang is supposed to kill the Fire Lord," he mumbled, "but he doesn't believe he should have to."

"Aang is an idealist," she sighed, "if he plans on winning, he'll find the right thing to do."

"How are we supposed to figure out if they got a hold of the ship?" Sokka asked rhetorically, changing the subject, looking out the windows and straining his head to try and see the other air ships. "It's not like these things are equipped with intercommunicators or something."

"We'll know," Astrid replied calmly. "The Enzansoshi Elite Defense Force has a silent way of notifying each other. Sokka, look at the water over there," she added, pointing to a spot of water over in the distance.

"What about it?" Sokka said slowly.

"Watch it," Astrid smiled. Sokka shrugged and focused on the spot of water like he was told. The water was flowing normally as all oceans go, but it was different somehow.

"It's a whirlpool," Sokka stated, noticing the water's trajectory.

"No," she corrected, "whirlpools only go in one direction. That is going clockwise, then counterclockwise." And indeed it was. Sokka squinted his eyes and tried to focus on the whirlpool only to see Astrid was right: the water in the whirlpool was moving in one direction, and then the opposite direction.

"Well, what's that supposed to mean?" Sokka inquired. "Are they telling us they got a hold of the ship?"

"Exactly," she replied. She took one hand off the steering wheel and began swishing her hand as if she was conducting an invisible orchestra. Sokka tore his stare from Astrid and out to the ocean to see the water flicking up and down in a bizarre spectacle. It was then Sokka truly appreciated their way of communicating: subtle enough no one would notice, but obvious enough to the ones that are aware. To Sokka, it was pure genius. "They have a hold of the ship," Astrid finally said, "and they know we have a hold of our ship. What are we to do now?"

"We need to take down the rest of the ships," Sokka answered, "but I don't know how."

"We can try tackling the other ships," Astrid suggested, "maybe there can be a vast collision."

"But how would we tell that to the others?" he challenged. "They're over a hundred meters away; we can't talk to them from all the way over here."

"Slash-dotted code," she replied simply, "in the water. We have dashes and dots assigned to every character of the alphabet, just in case of emergencies."

"Well, whatever we plan on doing, we better hurry," he groaned, "we're almost to the Earth Kingdom." He pointed out to the distance where a small sliver of land was just barely becoming visible.

"Tell me please, Sokka," Astrid somewhat snapped at him. "We're getting near land so tell me now so I can execute it."

"If we're going to take down the rest of these ships, we'll have to crash into them," Sokka stated firmly. "Do you think you can tell that to them?"

"Certainly," she nodded, and with one hand she began flicking her fingers in a quick patter on the water's surface. She paused for a moment, possibly waiting for a response when the water finally began to flick in the same way she had done, only more slowly, since Katara surely had not done their code before in water. "Marcellus wants to know if it matters which direction they strike in."

"What does he mean?" Sokka asked. Astrid quickly began flicking her fingers to the water, conveying Sokka's question. There was another short pause before the water began flicking back slowly.

"He wants to know whether to drive the ship into the bottom of the others or on top, or are we attacking from the same position," she communicated.

Sokka thought for a moment before responding, "Tell him to attack the bottom of all the ships and we'll get the top. We need to take these ships out before we take out the head so that way they can't defend the Fire Lord." Astrid quickly began flicking her fingers again, translating his words into code.

"He says to give signal before you start," Astrid finally said, placing her hand back on the wheel. "When exactly are we starting?"

"I don't know," Sokka replied. "I want to attack right now, but something's telling me to wait."

"Never doubt your instincts," she simply replied.

"But I'm not sure which is my instincts," Sokka frowned. "What if I choose the wrong one?"

"I'll tell you what," Astrid sighed, "if we get too far in that we can see the whole front of the island, we attack. No later, otherwise there would be no point." Sokka nodded in agreement, and continued to watch as the land got closer. There was a tense silence, but not between the two. The tension sprouted from the anxiety of a battle they were unsure of. A battle that could potentially kill them

Sokka had become so focused on the approaching land that he jumped to the ceiling when the sudden sound of feet slamming against metal suddenly erupted. "Sokka let me in! Let me in! Let me in!" Tsuchi shouted from the other side, continuously pounding on the door. "Sokka! Let me in! Let me in!" Sokka darted to the door and shoved it open to allow Tsuchi to dart into the control center.

"What's wrong?" Sokka spat out. "What's happening, what's going on? Is someone onto us?"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Tsuchi stuttered, rushing to the front window. "Look over there! What do you see?"

"I don't know," Sokka replied, striding over to Tsuchi's side and almost pressing his face against the glass. "What exactly am I looking at?"

"Grab the monocular over there!" she ordered, waving her hands to one of the shelves on the side. "Look over there! Don't tell me you don't see that!" Sokka ran to the shelf and snatched the monocular and ran back to the window. He drew the scope to full length and pointed it out to the land.

"What's going on?" Astrid said suddenly, for the lead ship suddenly was being attacked by rock projectiles. In less than a minute the ship descended rapidly and crashed landed into the surrounding rock pillars.

"It's Aang!" Sokka announced triumphantly. "He's back!"

'-'


	59. The Reprisal

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's Note: Like I said last time, most of this stuff is generated from the series finale. Lazy? Yes. Yes it is.

**Also**, I have a deviant art page now. I'm uploading it with a whole bunch of pictures of the characters you really don't care about. Still, go visit it. Go visit it now.

And you know, Wednesday's my birthday. And it'd be sort of nice to get a birthday hello maybe?

Chapter fifty-eight: The Reprisal

'-'

"Where exactly are we going?" Zuko asked Hiashi when she approached the large bison.

"They told me they'd leave the bison for us in case we decided to help them," Hiashi explained, stroking and shushing Appa in attempts to calm the animal down. "His name is Appa, and they preferred us not to yell in his presence. It makes him edgy."

"Great, we're taking advice to babysit a giant air buffalo," Zuko groaned as Hiashi continued to stroke Appa.

"You don't understand because you don't have a pet," she rolled her eyes. "Listen," she cooed to Appa, "I know we haven't gotten along in the past, but right now, Aang isn't here. He got lost and now your friends need our help. They left you here so that we may go and help them. Do you think you can let us ride you to the Earth Kingdom?" Appa grunted loudly and snorted, as if to laugh at her. "Appa, they're going to lock you in here forever. Who knows what they'll do with you. If you allow me, I swear on my life, Zuko's life, and my own rat's life that neither I nor he will harm you." Appa grunted again, but instead he stuck his large tongue out to bathe her in one lick. She wiped the saliva from her face and smirked. "Zuko, hop on, we're heading to Ba Sing Se."

"I am not flying on that thing," Zuko replied harshly.

"Damn it Zuko, do you covet your throne or not?" she snapped. "Now get on the bison and let's go!" Zuko growled, but reluctantly grabbed the saddle and lifted himself up.

"Do you even know how to fly this thing?" Zuko asked sarcastically.

"If I remember properly, the magic words are 'Yip-yip!" And like a switch, Appa began to ascend quickly from the small stable he was in. "Next stop," Hiashi breathed, "Earth Kingdom."

'-'

Aang stood atop one of the massive rock stalagmites on the land, watching the balloon descend faster into the rocks. A person, who Aang assumed was the Fire Lord, jumped from the falling wreckage and onto one of the neighboring stalagmites before the ship finally collided with the rocks. It was time. He was ready.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Avatar!" the person mocked. Aang furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. When everyone spoke of the Fire Lord, they always used the term 'he'. Instead, he was hearing the sound of a woman's voice. An extremely young woman at that.

"Who are you?" Aang asked loudly, but calmly. "Where's Fire Lord Ozai?"

"Where are your manners?" the girl mocked again. "Fire Lord Ozai is dead! I am the new ruler, Fire Lord Azula!"

"Whoever you are, please listen to me! Aang begged. "We don't have to fight! You have the power to end it here and stop what your father has instigated."

"And therein lies the greatness," the new Fire Lord Azula smirked, "I do have the power. I have all the power in the world!" She cackled loudly, flexing her fingers and shooting immense lightning bolts from the tips. Aang took his fighting stance, ready to fight. He took a deep breath and within that moment the battle began.

The epic battle that would define Aang as the Avatar.

The battle that would change the course of history forever.

'-'

"Marcellus, look!" Katara exclaimed, pointing out the window to the approaching land. "Aang's back! He made it here!" She began laughing in joy, tears gently sliding down her face. "He's back."

"Katara, I know Aang is vital to the mission," Marcellus frowned from behind the wheel, "but Astrid just gave me the signal to go ahead, so you need to cut a line through the water right now." Katara got a hold of herself and nodded, quickly bending a rift on the water's surface. Marcellus turned the ship away from the formation, making a giant U turn to the other unsuspecting ships. Already, the firebenders on board began burning everything below them in unison, creating one humungous flaming axe across the surface of the earth. Everything in the path below was soon ignited: trees, brush, animals, houses. The damage was gruesome and it was up to them to stop it. Marcellus scanned the surfaces of the control center and began pulling and pressing what he could reach, sending the ship ahead full throttle. "You better hold on, Katara," he frowned. "It's going to be a bumpy ride."

Within seconds of his words, the thunderous screech of metal and sparks engulfed the air as quickly as the fire. Katara lurched backwards into the wall when the ship began to cut through the first vessel.

"Is there any way we can get out?" Katara attempted to shout over the cacophony.

"Not with what we're doing, there isn't!" Marcellus bellowed in return. "Escape is on top, not bottom!"

On the other side of the formation, Sokka, Astrid, and Tsuchi had also begun ramming their ship into the others. But they had access to their escape route and had quickly run to the top of the air ship. "We got to escape, what about your sister?" Tsuchi yelled.

"Katara will be fine!" Sokka yelled back as they continued to run. "She can handle herself!"

"Sokka, what are we going to do now?" Astrid shouted.

"I don't know yet!" Sokka roared in reply. "I just need to wait and—." Sokka and Astrid stumbled forward, nearly falling off the metal craft. As they slowly drew near the last ship in the formation the frontal piece of the vessel suddenly broke off, leaving Sokka and Astrid separated from the largest piece. "TSUCHI!" Sokka cried, staggering to the edge of the broken piece. Without hesitation, Astrid grabbed the collar of Sokka's shirt and dragged him to the edge closest to the ship next to them and forced him and herself off the falling ship. "We have to go back for Tsuchi!" Sokka snarled at Astrid.

"She's fine!" Astrid growled back, grabbing his head and violently turning it to the larger piece of the ship where Tsuchi had both hands in fists, utilizing the comet's energy by projecting herself up with her fists and feet.

"Fucking awesome!" Sokka heard her shout when she landed. "Go on!" she yelled to them as loud as she could. "I've got it from here!" It was Sokka's turn now to grab Astrid and guide her away from the falling scrap metal that rained down on them from the ship.

The easy part was out of the way. But there was still the matter of the soldiers still on board.

'-'

Aang shot his hands towards Azula, bending the water nearby to block her blue fire attack. Never had Aang seen such a color with fire, but he said nothing, flexing his fists and bending several boulders at her. The two of them danced in the deadliest of fashions, jumping from rock pillar to rock pillar, Catherine Wheels against air slices, fire against water, blasts against stones, heat against heat. In Aang's nature, he did the most he could muster: advance defense with evade methodology. But no matter what he tried, the new Fire Lord, Azula, persisted, her attacks and her fire beacons against the oranging sky.

"You can't run away forever, Avatar!" Azula teased childishly, whipping a large, sapphire flame at Aang. Aang swung his hands up and conjured a rock shield to deflect the whip. His fists came down and with a hard stomp, a stalagmite shot from the group. Azula kept her feet on the jetting rock and used it as a launch pad to push herself to another adjacent pillar. She had been nice before and to Aang it seemed as if she had just realized it. She exchanged her fire for lightning and began taking aim at him. Aang jumped from post to post, avoiding the ground anytime Azula struck. He continued moving around, sending rocks, water, air, anything he could gather towards her. She followed her prey, mimicking Aang's moves wherever he went, still attempting to hit the airbender with her lightning. "There is hell to be paid Avatar!" she growled ferociously to Aang. "And you're payment!"

'-'

The battle for Ba Sing Se was worse than either Hiashi or Zuko could imagine. The walls were lingering between the thin lines of collapsing under the fire, but there were not only soldiers fighting for their freedom and their homeland, but others as well, the strange variety of people, and what appeared to be wolves, attacked the invading Fire Nation troops in harmony. "Zuko, we've fought these people before," Hiashi clarified for him. "They're from the other worlds, so they may not trust us initially." She steered Appa to the ground and as soon as the bison landed, the duo jumped off and were immediately engaged in battle.

"Freeze, bucket heads!" one of the rebels barked at them right away. The two turned to see the brown headed boy from the underground city holding his weapon. "I've been waiting for this for a long time now!"

"We're fighting with you!" Hiashi snapped. "Why else would we have the Avatar's bison?"

"How are we to trust you?" one of the blood-sodden wolves growled after tackling a firebender into unconsciousness. "You caused a lot of damage for us all!"

"We swear on our lives we won't do anything!" Zuko shoved passed Hiashi. "Now shut up and fight them!"

'-'

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Azula sang from atop the stalagmites, scanning the cracks of the land for Aang. "I promise to play nice." Aang had ducked in between a small cavity for only a moment. Everything to him was moving so fast he had no time to think. What exactly was he supposed to do was his main concern. He was expecting the old Fire Lord and instead he got this person. Was what she said true? Was the Fire Lord really dead? And if he was, was this really his replacement? Maybe she was just a decoy. There was definitely a Fire Lord Ozai. Zuko mentioned his father many time in midst battle. But this was a girl. Aang was not sexist, but the whole ordeal did not equate. It made no sense that a few seconds ago it was Fire Lord Ozai, only now for it to be Fire Lord Azula, someone he had never heard of. "Tag!" he suddenly heard from above him. "You're it!

'-'

It had been a while since she and Zuko fought side by side. She did not miss it, especially since most of their fights were caked in insults and spite, but now it seemed more pleasant, even though they were still fighting. She promised not to leave his side no matter what, but as their battle raged on she began to regret it more and more. "Zuko duck!" she yelled, making quick steps and punches to a firebender from behind, hitting the man with several hundred pound stones.

"Thanks," he quickly threw at her, drop kicking one of the soldiers that got too close.

_He said thank you?_ Hiashi thought for a moment, but it slipped away when a nearby tank shot at her and one of the others next to her. "How dare you shoot at me!" she snarled and without thinking she flexed both hands and shot them upward, sending the tank flying though the air and into another. Several Fire Nation soldiers leaped in front of her and in unison surrounded them in a ring of fire. Hiashi bended the ground underneath the soldiers, trapping all them up to their knees. "It's PAY-FUCKING-BACK!" With one turn and a jump kick Hiashi summoned as much fire as she could, brightening the whole sky to day and engulfing the ones trapped in its path. "Enjoy it, 'cuz you'll be experiencing a lot more flames in Hell!" A demonic spirit had entered her. The anger she kept locked up in her suddenly rushed forward to the Fire Nation soldiers. What they had done to everyone in the whole world was unacceptable. What they had done to her was unacceptable. Revenge was a dish best served cold, but to Hiashi, she was just fine. Never had murder felt so good to her.

"What the hell are you doing?" Zuko yelled at her. She looked up and turned around to see where she was in relation to Zuko. She remembered promising him she would not leave his side, but she had just broken it, being almost forty meters away from him. "Why are you killing those people?" She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by a loud explosion. Scrap metal and rocks flew everywhere and without hesitation Zuko pulled Hiashi close to him and shielded her from the debris. He grabbed her ash brushed face and yelled, "Don't leave my side!" Hiashi growled to keep herself from saying anything.

There was very little for Hiashi to do if she was to stay at Zuko's side. If he was going to force her to stay at his side he was also forcing her to sit back and do nothing because he was the kind of guy who needed to protect woman, the macho kind that always annoyed her so much. If she even dared to try and fight somehow Zuko got to them first. She rolled her eyes as her fourth attempt to fight was to no avail and finally decided to stand behind him carefully and watch what everyone was doing. "Say hello to my little friend!" the brown-haired one with the weapon bellowed from behind a rock. He jumped from behind and began shooting at the fleshier parts of the Fire Nation soldier's armor while a proper looking girl similar to him was tackling soldiers with the same weapon as her counterpart.

"Cover them!" the blond woman in pink yelled to a group of green clad men and woman with bows and arrows. The white and grey wolves and the one black wolf were running around, dodging large flames and lunging full throttle at the soldiers attacking them. There was a strange black mist hovering near one of the tanks, lingering near one of the soldiers. In an instant the man fell and the black fog took the solid form of the man who collapsed. The black film, who was now a Fire Nation soldier, knocked on one of the nearby tanks and was instantly allowed in. Hiashi frowned, not quite sure why they would let the new person in or even where the black haze came from, but she could only assume it was on their side.

The other element benders were taking down the tanks with ease, either crushing them or destroying them completely. One of them, a rather tall and skinny one with a grey cloak, was writhing in pain hidden in an alley, screaming, "I can't feel my hand! I can't feel my fucking hand!" while a girl with black hair and a hovering violet light tended to whatever he was suffering from.

"Your arm will be fine, Osric," she heard the girl say to the guy. "It burned to the bone, so you need to relax or you'll go into shock."

"He can't fight, Souixe!" the light said to the girl. "He needs his hand to fight!"

Hiashi tore her gaze from the alley and struck her hands in opposite directions, shooting fire down each neighboring street. "Zuko, I can't really fight!" she yelled at him from over the roars of everything. "How do you expect me—?"

"Admiral Zhao said not to bother with Prince Zuko!" one of the men hollered to the men nearest them.

"Zhao," Zuko growled. "He's running this? I should've known!"

Hiashi was not paying any attention. Her heart, mind, every function in her body froze. _Zhao…_ The name shook her whole being. Why did that name ring so many bells within her?

"_I fucking told you not to say anything if Admiral came here!" Hykiru spat. "How dare you address him!"_

"_Dunno," Shiden mumbled. "What do you think Zhao would pay for this?"_

"_Hell if I know," Sureiyaa replied. "He paid a lot for her whereabouts, why not this?"_

"_Fuck, dammit! Admiral!" the teen cried. "Let's get out of here! It's way too dangerous! She's already dead!"_

"_Fair!" the other one called. "I'm already done with this one over here."_

"He killed my father," Hiashi breathed. "Admiral Zhao. That's the man who killed my father."

'-'

"Astrid, do you think you can get enough air over here to send this ship going that way?" Sokka asked quickly, pointing towards the other remaining ship that had yet to be damaged.

"Yes," she said firmly. She flexed her hands and swiftly began to pull an imaginary rope. The wind rapidly became stronger and stronger with each imaginary tug she made to the point where the ship finally swerved into the one next to it, creating a ripple effect on the neighboring air ships.

"Hey!" someone shouted from a door to the roof of the vessel. Both of their heads shot to the noise to see a soldier leaning out of the ship. He stuck his hand out from the inside and struck the air, sending a generous amount of fire towards them.

"Run!" Sokka instinctively shouted to Astrid and both ran from the soldier only to find there was little room to escape to.

"Jump!" Astrid replaced run, grabbing Sokka's arm and, without hesitation, slid off the balloon to land on a plank situated on the bottom. Sokka landed with a thud as did Astrid, but not as gracefully, losing her grip on him and falling off the small platform. Before she could fall completely, she grabbed the ledge of the metal plank and managed to grip it as hard as she could. "Sokka, help!" Astrid screamed, her fingers slipping slightly. He quickly grabbed her near the elbow with both hand and attempted to hoist her up but two soldiers ran to the neighboring platforms, poised to attack. Without thinking, Sokka released one hand from Astrid's arm and unsheathed his boomerang. He flung it at the closest firebender, managing to disarm the man and knocking him off the plank. Astrid was more careful with her attack: with the free hand she had, she swung her arm across her chest and kicked the air out from under him. The man on the other side slipped and landed precariously on the plank, unconscious. But from two men, several others replaced them, off the platforms and ready to strike the defenseless group.

"Astrid, I can't pull you up!" Sokka cried, his heart beating harder and harder in his chest. It was obvious they were surrounded. They had no weapons to defend themselves with, and if they did, they could not use them, not with one of them teetering over a kilometer drop. It scared him to know they were going to die.

However in a split second the men who were ready to attack them suddenly ran and attempted to return inside the craft. Sokka shot his head in the direction they were running from to see not one but two of the ships heading for them, crashing into the vessel violently. On impact Sokka and Astrid were knocked from the plank and onto the ship that attacked from underneath. "Which one did that?" Astrid grunted, holding her side from the impact. "Was that your sister and Marcellus?"

"Them too," Sokka smirked, "but look!" He pointed to the ship that impacted from above to show Tsuchi who was steering one of the attacking ships.

"Out of my way, mother fuckahs!" Tsuchi hollered in victory. "I'm Tsuchi, biz-nitch! You don't go fucking with the bull!" All Sokka could do was laugh. As much as he despised her, he was still glad she was safe.

'-'

"Stop fooling yourself, Avatar!" Azula cackled, heating up the area Aang was hiding in. In an attempt to protect himself, instead of running he created a box for himself out of earth. Retrospectively it was not a good idea. The inside temperature rapidly increased to the average temperature of an oven and to Aang, he felt like food. "They called on the Avatar to save them, and they send me a child? You have no right to be called their savior! You're no different from the rest of your people! That's why they died so quickly! And when I'm done with you, so will every other nation meet the same fate as you!" she continued surrounding the outside of his shelter with fire, baking him alive on the inside.

_I need to do something!_ Aang yelled at himself. _If I don't do anything, she'll win! And I'll be letting everyone down! I'll be letting Katara down… I can't let that happen! I just can't!_

"Give it up, Avatar!" she continued to chime, pausing her original plan to cook the Avatar alive. "Or I will make you!" She brought her hands together, generating a large electric wave, and cruelly and maliciously struck the shield Aang had conjured. He cried out not in pain, but an attempt to regain focus, but it was too late.

His past lives had other plans.

Azula laughed at the pile of rubble in front of her. "See, Avatar, I told you—." Her words were cut short when Aang reached out from the debris and grabbed the collar of her uniform. The physical image of the Avatar she fought earlier was there, but the one that was glowing in front of her was not the same as before. Instead, this one was older, more aggressive, more hostile. Azula curled her fingers and attempted to disarm him, but the Avatar was much too quick for her. He slapped the fly of an arm away from his face and just as quickly the tables had turned. A powerful sphere of epic proportions was now being bent in front of her, a power not even the meteor could save her from. The wrath of every element, fire, water, earth, air, every soul ever killed, every year the war raged, every centimeter of land conquered was all infuriated.

And they wanted revenge.

'-'

"Hiashi, watch out!" Zuko cried over the shouting, running and grabbing her, forcing her to the ground. Another explosion erupted from behind them, scattering more rubble than needed. "You need to be careful!" he scolded her. "What's the matter with you?"

"You know Admiral Zhao!" she screamed at him. "Which one is he?"

"Hiashi, this isn't the time—"

"Zuko, tell me!" she pleaded angrily. "Which one is Zhao?"

"He's that one over there," he replied with hesitance. "Why is this so—Hiashi!" In the midst of his sentence Hiashi jumped to her feet and ran to the man with the large sideburns, the one Zuko had pointed out to her. The Admiral Zhao person was fighting the elemental with the green cloak, as if nothing was going on, as if he did not kill someone innocent, as if he was doing nothing wrong.

"YOU BASTARD!" Hiashi screeched, knocking the blonde elemental away from her target and implementing an ignited uppercut to Zhao. "YOU KILLED MY FATHER!"

"What are you talking about?" Zhao coughed, dusting ash from his face. "Do I know you?"

"You killed my father!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, shifting her legs and breaking the ground beneath him, knocking him on the floor. "You destroyed my home! You ruined my life! Who do you think you are!" Zhao furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, jumping to his feet. His eyes darted to the ground and to her hands, which were currently charging themselves with fire. Putting two and two together, Zhao laughed hysterically.

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted Hykiru," Zhao smirked. "He's an idiot, but he was the only one willing to do the job. Obviously he did a bad one." He let out a war cry and punched the ground, sending a large river of fire to Hiashi.

"What is she doing?" a red headed archer barked at Zuko, aiming and shooting several arrows to different soldiers. "She's just gonna kill herself!"

"You need to get her under control," the blonde man shouted to Zuko, pointing him to the dueling Hiashi and Zhao, "she could kill him!"

"What does it matter?" Zuko shouted back, disarming one of the foot soldiers. "He killed her father, you can't stop her."

"What has that man done?" the blonde asked, trapping several others in rock confinements. "Does he deserve this?"

"Deserve this?" Zuko scoffed. "He's second to my father. Concern yourself with the others, that's Hiashi's battle."

"What is wrong with her?" the black mist, now a brown haired girl with a Prussian blue corset ran up to them. "Is she insane? Not even Arekin was able to take him!"

"Someone should stop her!" the brunette with the frames exclaimed, wiping her bangs from her sweat and dirt covered face. "She can't take him on by herself!"

"Let her fight," Zuko muttered. "She needs this."

Hiashi fought with all her strength, not caring if her arm was bleeding, or if her jacket had been burned, or if she was slowing down from fatigue. She could only think of the man in front of her. She could only think back to seven months ago when he and the other one broke into her home and destroyed what little she and her father had left. She could only think of what this man did to her father, when he announced that he killed him. That was all she could think of.

"Give it up, mudblood!" Zhao cackled. You can never win! You will never win! You never have!" Hiashi's face twisted in rage much stronger than anything she had ever felt and shrieked with such ferocity that everyone felt the earth shake beneath them. She flexed her hands and out of the ground came many large boulders, and each individual one came closer and closer to them.

"I will never give up," Hiashi snarled under her breath. "You took my father from me. And now you will pay." In an instant there were several more meteors, each one being thrown aggressively at Zhao. He defended himself with as much strength as he could, either dodging them or kicking them out of the way. Almost every soldier was apprehended by the other rebels and ready for arrest. All that was left was Zhao, but no one wanted to intervene. Hiashi continued to throw rocks at him without even aiming, hurling in stress and looking more crazed by the second. She threw two final rocks at Zhao, one in front and one in back. Zhao only saw one, but the other finally managed to hit him knocking him violently to the floor.

"Ugh," he grunted, massaging the spot on his head where the boulder had struck his head. He flipped himself over, only to see Hiashi charging at him. He pushed himself up but Hiashi was quicker, tackling him to the ground with more force than a Komodo Rhino.

"YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED HIM! YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" was all she kept shrieking, punching him with fists of fire, smashing his head into the ground, stabbing his chest, throat, and head with her cane's knife, ignoring that she was cutting herself by the way she was holding it. She ignored the fact that Zhao was defending himself, letting her arms and legs become burned and bloodied. For what seemed an eternity she continued to assault Zhao with fire, rocks, fists, and swords, ignoring the people trying to pull her off.

"Hiashi, he's dead!" Zuko screamed at her as she continued to punch a bloody Zhao who was no longer moving. "Get off him!"

"NO!" she cried, continuing to stab and pummel Zhao with all her fury. "HE KILLED HIM! HE WAS MY FATHER! I LOVED HIM AND HE KILLED HIM!" The rest of the others began yelling at her, several people pulling at tugging at her to get off, but she simply shot fire at them, keeping them at bay. It took Zuko, the blonde elemental, the guy with the 'rifle,' and the mist now girl to finally pull the blood spattered Hiashi off Zhao. Hiashi stumbled into Zuko, fighting him with all her vigor to get back to Zhao.

"Hiashi, stop!" Zuko stumbled, trying his best to restrain the kicking and screaming girl while the blonde elemental examined the body. "He's dead! There's nothing more you can do!"

"HE KILLED MY FATHER!" she continued to scream. "THAT BASTARD KILLED MY FATHER! HE WAS THE ONLY THING I HAD LEFT! I loved him and I never got to tell him!" Her kicking began to weaken before she finally surrendered to Zuko.

All he could do was hold her and allow her, for the first time in almost thirteen years, to simply cry in his arms for her father's death and for everything else she held inside.

'-'

The hunter became the prey. Instead of Aang running for his life it was now Azula. Far from scared though, she paused many times for long period, shooting lighting and fire at the approaching Avatar. But with every shot she made, she only made the Avatar madder. With every jump she made away from him the Avatar was there to stop her, whether it was slowing her down with wind or combining two or more columns to create a barrier. There still was no fear, but the longer she paused to attack, the more dangerous the Avatar's attacks became. He was an unstoppable force now. Azula's pauses became less frequent and much shorter because they soon became useless. No matter how hard she tried to strike the Avatar, it worked to no avail. She kept jumping from pillar to pillar, kicking and punching as much fire as she could collect at him, but he was persistent. In a matter of seconds the Avatar shot a rope of water around Azula's foot and lassoed her in. He slammed her on the largest of stalagmites and encased her limbs with rocks. She thrashed back and forth, attempting to break herself free from her restraints, but the Avatar was stronger.

"Fire Lord, Azula," the Avatar howled in a voice that was not his own, "you and your forefathers have devastated the balance of this world. And now you must pay the ultimate price." His hands circled above his head and he created a coil of every element. The gigantic spiral of elements shot from his own collection, out and up high into the sky only to pummel down at increasing speed. But in the back of his mind, his thoughts contradicted his actions.

_Why am I going to kill her? How long has she been Fire Lord? Has she been as bad as the other Fire Lord?_ As soon as the thoughts came into his head, the light went out. His arms fell as did the death spiral he created, the elements simply disappearing or falling uselessly to the floor. Azula coughed and spat from the water that fell on her face and growled at Aang, who had finally stopped glowing and landed gently on the floor. "I can't do this," Aang sighed, freeing Azula from her bindings. "You're new to this and you don't deserve that kind of fate." Azula wiped the water from her face and began to cackle quietly.

"I am my father's child," she smirked wickedly. "I am new to nothing! I am the new Fire Lord! If he can't finish his job, then I will!" She jumped to her feet and swung her fist upward, charging a bomb in her hand as she neared the Avatar's back. But something amazing happened. Aang was quick, ducking from Azula's attack and suddenly encasing both her arms in a neck-less pillory. And before Azula could react, he placed one hand on her forehead and the other on her chest, creating a sudden stillness in the air.

None of them moved, none of them spoke, none of them breathed; it was energy not to be reckoned with.

_In the era before the Avatar, we bent not the elements, but the energy within ourselves…_

In a fantastic light spectacle, Aang began to glow, but not solely from the tattoos, but his eyes and his mouth and all over his body, turning into large blue spotlights into the sky. Azula's body began to mimic Aang's, glowing a fierce demonic yellow and slowly engulfing her body. It now was not just a battle of strength but a battle of will and a battle of integrity, to see who would win and who would be conquered.

_To bend another's energy, your own spirit must be unbendable…_

_Or you will be corrupted and destroyed…_

Aang was unbendable.

It was no battle after. Aang's energy grew stronger and engulfed Azula's and the rest of the sky in a vibrant cyan glow. Sokka, Katara, Tsuchi, Astrid, and Marcellus covered their eyes as they watched the light spectacle from the war ship. The light continued to intensify to a blinding white before it finally disappeared. Aang dropped his hands from Azula and stumbled backwards, releasing her once again from her shackles. He inhaled deeply to regain his mind and simply watched Azula flail her arms in attempts to bend.

"No!" she snarled, continuing to punch the air fruitlessly. "What happened? What did you do?"

"I took away your bending," Aang declared to her. "I gave you a chance, but you wanted to go through the invasion. I'm sorry, but you cannot be Fire Lord, nor do you deserve your bending. We have to find someone else." And with that being said, Aang took a deep breath and lifted his hands, raising the ocean and flooding the nearby land, extinguishing all the fires.

Then for once in a hundred years, there was a silence like no other. It was not eerie, it was not deafening, but it was peaceful. It was the silence he had wanted for so long. The kind of silence that could relax anyone. And that was the way things were supposed to be. It was right. The world was right. There were no more dangers for him, for anyone. He promised the world he would make up his absence, and he did.

"Aang that was awesome!" Sokka's voice suddenly sounded from behind him. Aang turned around to see a battered Fire Nation air ship hover near him and on board were five people he knew. "You did it! You should have seen yourself!" Sokka began flinging his arms and leg, believing he was imitating Aang's fighting.

"I have never seen aerokinesis like that!" Astrid exclaimed. "Not even from Arekin!" She ran and engulfed him in a quick hug and he smiled.

"What are you two doing here?" Aang smiled, looking at both Astrid and Marcellus.

"Your friends were worried about you," Marcellus answered. "So they asked us to come help with defeating these evil tyrants. We figured why not."

"There's more of them at Ba Sing Se," Katara smiled. She quickly embraced him and could not get herself to let go. Aang blushed profusely, but he could not help but hug her back just as hard.

"Well now wait a minute," Sokka frowned, looking at the fallen body of the Fire Lord, "I thought the Fire Lord was a man. Why is she here?"

"My father is dead!" Azula snarled. "I'm the Fire Lord!"

"She's still alive?" Tsuchi exclaimed in annoyance. "What the hell man?"

"I learned there was another way to defeat the Fire Lord and restore balance," Aang said to her. "I took her bending away."

"You can remove it?" Astrid asked in surprise. "Where did you learn that?"

"A giant lion turtle," he smiled.

"Interesting," Katara replied, going back to Aang for another hug.

"Well, look at you, missy!" Sokka sneered at Azula. "I guess now that your firebending is gone we should call you the Loser Lord!"

"Shut up you peasant!" Azula growled, but she fell to the floor, too weak to keep her head up.

"What the hell is up with you rich white folk?" Tsuchi chuckled. "Is it mandatory to point out that you're richer than everyone? You just got your ass handed to you by a monk!"

"I have to say that's really sad for someone who tried to take over the world, you know?" Marcellus laughed. "Y'all is pathetic!"

"True that, son," Tsuchi agreed, bumping fists with Marcellus.

The whole group breathed in a sigh of relief and restrained Azula before she could do anything else. More hugs were exchanged and the group watched the comet streak over them as it left the atmosphere, brightening one last time before leaving the whole world in a sea of black.

'-'

Remember people that I have a deviant art page. The link is on my profile. Go look at it, go ahead, go right now...


	60. The Eye of the Storm

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Chapter fifty-nine: The Calm After the Storm

'-'

Everyone was reunited at the Earth Kingdom. Aang, Sokka, Katara, Tsuchi, Astrid, and Marcellus took the last functioning war balloon to Ba Sing Se where everyone greeted them with excitement. Zuko preferred not to stay or even speak to any of them, simply exchanging Appa for the war balloon and taking Hiashi back to the Fire Nation. Needless to say, Aang was confused that Zuko was not touched by anyone, but Katara promised to explain things to him later. Astrid and Marcellus were reunited with their friends, Arekin and Marcellus exchanging greetings with Astrid running to Osric, hugging him with bone-crushing strength. The two of them were not too happy that his whole right forearm had been incinerated, but Astrid smiled and pushed him playfully. Hasmik gave her brother a pat on the shoulder and he responded by shoving her, as all brothers would do. Souixe and Liiri were running around to the different people who needed medical attention, tending to the largest to the smallest wounds there were. The wolves were busy licking themselves clean of the blood that stained their fur, but simply did not mind that they were fighting for humans. Dr. Light was congratulating her archers on a job well done, pulling several large pieces of debris from her now unruly yellow hair. Screech hovered over to Blu and transformed back into Rachel, petting and hugging her companion in gratitude.

"To Aang's return and to his friends!" Arekin roared over the cheers of the crowd. "Or should I say, The Avatar!" There was much plaudits and ovation for the four of them, each group glad to have helped them defeat the tyrant that took over their world.

"Thank you all for your help," Aang announced after the cheers had died down to a minimal. "You did not have to do this for us, but you did anyways, and all we have is gratitude. I know we all probably got off to a rough start, and over the course of some of our stays we caused many problems for you all, but we're thankful nonetheless—"

"Oh, shut up, Aang!" Horicon yelled at him without anger. "You know that little performance you put on at our hotel actually brought more business? And what was that stuff you left? Rice? Hell, we're the only people our whole _world_ who sell that stuff!"

"And I have established a treaty with the Dark Realm for us," Dr. Light added. "Since the murder of my brother and the murder of one of their people by a mutual person, we've agreed that in order to prevent things like that from happening again we need to collaborate."

"And I know it may not seem comforting, but ever since you came to our world, the Queen has actually ordered stricter regulation on incoming humans," one of the white wolf, growled in his wolfish voice. "And because of that, there has been a vast reduction in vampires and less human deaths since."

"Also, the spirits in the Hollow have been awaken enough to help me find Ceign," Screech, who was now Rachel, added. "Apparently he created those spirits, and they want revenge."

"My army has never been stronger," Arekin stated. "We have amped up all training and even utilized some of your element moves along with the ones we already have. We have almost eradicated Them from the other side of the woods."

"Plus after he conjured the shield to protect you people, he got to nail Chana," Osric smirked.

Everyone turned to Arekin with wide and confused eyes while he held his scarlet face in his hands, overcome with mortification and mumbling, "Good god, for the love of all that is natural, you did not just say that."

"Arekin, you stud, good job!" Tsuchi congratulated, slapping the embarrassed elemental on the shoulder. "So where's Chana now?"

"My _wife_ is at home…" Arekin forced himself to say, "…because she is pregnant with our first child."

"Oh my goodness, congratulations!" Katara squealed. "Do you know when she's due?"

"I don't know," Arekin mumbled, still redden with embarrassment, but they could all tell he was happy to speak of her and his new coming family.

"He knocked her up on their first try," Osric proclaimed loudly. "Now isn't that a master or what?"

"I am going to kill you," Arekin mumbled under his breath, turning redder, if that was possible.

"She nursed him back to health when he hurt himself making the shield!" Osric continued to gush, ignoring Arekin's embarrassment. "They hooked up, and then they got busy!" Astrid, Marcellus, and the rest of the crew Arekin had brought along began laughing, jostling Arekin's shoulder in a playful manner.

"We were married before that happened, thank you very much," Arekin grumbled to the group loudly.

"Tell that to the woods creatures, Arekin," Astrid smirked, hanging from Osric's neck. "I think they'd beg to differ."

"Why doesn't Osric tell you that he has one of your hair ties under his pillow and how he likes to smell it before he goes to bed?" Arekin said almost harshly. The gazes were taken of him and transferred to Osric and Astrid, who both looked embarrassed. "You didn't think I knew, did you? You didn't think I could get you back or play your game, but I did! Now the ball's in _my _circle!" Astrid glared at Osric and mouthed something that looked like 'You showed him?'

"Heh, heh, he got you there!" Marcellus snorted.

"Do you think any of us will see each other ever again?" Hasmik asked Aang sincerely. "I mean, we're all going to go back to our own homes, but will this be it?"

"I'm afraid so," Sokka sighed. "We don't have knives for all of you to use, and sometimes it may be best to stay separated. We may visit, but I doubt that many of you will see each other ever again." Hasmik frowned, but she nodded in understanding.

"I guess this is goodbye for all of us," Dr. Light stated. "I think it'd be best for each of us to return to our respective worlds."

So everyone said their goodbyes. Most of them congratulated each other on a job well done. The wolves were parting with Blu and welcoming her to their pack, Arekin, after recovering from his mortifying ordeal, was shaking hands with the Light Realm archers and complimenting their skills, Hasmik was hugging Aang and the other, truly upset she would never see them again, and even Horicon lightened up, seeing Souixe from across the crowd and greeting her with a flirtatious, "How you doin'?" and causing her to blush more than Arekin had. It took everyone almost a whole hour to finally finish, but neither of the main four minded even a little bit. These people only met a few hours ago and they only thing they had in common was them. But they still managed to fight side by side, without conflict and without worrying about being able to trust one another. In fact, they fought a battle they did not even have to concern themselves with. Everyone they went to said yes, but of course not including the Funicans who though wanted to help, did not believe in violence and therefore could not fight back even if they wanted to. But their hearts went to them anyways and they swore to think of them during their most important of challenges.

Finally the farewells dwindled down to none and Sokka cut the air for everyone to return to their homes. Dr. Light ushered her archers into the portal before her and gestured one final time before it disappeared. Rachel, who was now Screech again, led Blu into the opening and yelled one last bye. Hasmik waved vigorously to the four of them as Horicon pulled her into their world, while Liiri followed Souixe into theirs, reprimanding her for kissing Horicon without so much as a name. Arekin saluted Aang for his bravery as his team entered their passage, and even welcomed them to their world whenever they wanted. And in one final flash everyone was gone, back to their home and their own lives.

"This is so weird," Katara sighed once everyone was gone. "I mean, no war left, no more traveling to the other worlds, it's different."

"It's over," Aang sighed, turning to look at the outer walls of Ba Sing Se. "After one hundred years the war is finally over."

"Katara, that means we get to see dad again," Sokka said enthusiastically. "We haven't seen him in forever, but we get to go home!"

"Speaking of home," Tsuchi smiled, "I can't wait to go home! I miss my aunt. And I get to rub it in my grand-demon's face! I won the war with the Avatar! Take that you old bat!"

"You have serious family problems," Sokka frowned, but they all laughed at Tsuchi's statement.

"Come on, you guys!" Tsuchi called to them, running after Appa, with Momo flying right behind them. "I want to go home now!"

'-'

Hiashi fiddled with the hemming of her sarong, the only item of clothing she had left. Her jacket was burned, almost un-repairable, her pants were falling apart that with one false move they would shred into small pieces, and her shoes, shoes she already had for so many years were now frail and useless to her. She sighed, leaning her head and her body against the cool metal of the ship. She forgot why she bought the sarong in the first place, only remembering that it was the most suitable and the most attractive article of clothing she found in the shop, but though she regretted buying it, she did not find it all that bad. The material was just thin enough to allow a breeze and the cold metal touch her skin, which was what she needed at this point.

"How are you feeling?" Zuko's voice sounded from across the ship. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine," she sighed, bringing her knees to her chest. "Why'd you bring me back to the ship? There's no one here and you're the new Fire Lord. Don't you get the castle?"

"In good time," Zuko replied, taking a spot next to her. "That's for tomorrow and I didn't think you would want to see anyone right now."

"So why are you here?" she grumbled, turning away from him.

"I don't want you here by yourself," he snapped unintentionally. She flinched subtly, but flinched nonetheless. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I know you had a rough day."

"Rough doesn't begin to cover it," she mumbled. Zuko looked at her and finally noticed the disfigurement on her body, not just the new, but the old as well.

"What happened here?" he asked, pointing to a large burn on her back, extending from the top of her left shoulder to underneath the haltered sarong. "Here on your shoulder, what happened?"

"That was Hykiru," she said quietly, "when he and what's-his-name attacked us. Some of these were him, but most of these were from gang fights."

"Gang fights?" Zuko repeated with confusion. "Since when were you in a gang?"

"I thought I told you this?" she responded forcefully.

"No, you didn't," he replied sternly. "I asked you, but you never answered me."

"Well, I was in a gang, okay?" she said casually. "Do you remember those girls from Engoku?"

"The ones that almost killed you?" he answered stiffly. "How can I not forget? Your room was a massacre."

"Well, the big one with black hair, her name was Sureiyaa. She was the head of the gang Youkyou. The red haired waterbender, the one that sold you my cane, her name was Shiden, the head of the girl's branch. And the one with the silver hair was Gingitsune, probably the nice one out of the three."

"It's really hard to figure out which one's the nice one if they're all trying to kill you," Zuko scoffed. "But why were they attacking you? Why did they want you dead?"

"Well, isn't it obvious?" she asked rudely. "Zuko, why does everyone else want me dead? I lied to them about who I was, and Sureiyaa was and is a very proud Earth Kingdom citizen. When she found out what I was she went ballistic. Plus I was dating her brother, Kyyoku and she did not like that. She killed him after, too. Cut his head off and put it on my doorstep, on fire. After all the hell I went through for initiation, retrospectively, was not worth it."

"Initiation?" he reiterated. "What kind of initiation?"

"It's a really morbid ritual every member of the gang must go through," she sighed histrionically. "It's mandatory that everyone entering the gang must kill someone of a rival crew, or an enemy of their own gang, like a snitch or a double spy. I got to kill someone from a rival gang, but it doesn't make it any better. They usually tie the person up and then you get to choose the method of death. I just stabbed the guy in the head to get it over with quickly."

"That's horrible!" Zuko exclaimed.

"That's not the worst part," she groaned, turning a slight tint of green. "When you're finished killing the person, the master of the gang cuts the victim, assuming you didn't cut them, drains the blood into a glass, and then makes you drink it." Zuko stared at her in horror as the words came out of her mouth.

"You _drank_ that man's blood?" he gagged. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"It made me sick after," she responded, rubbing her thumb on the floor of the ship. "When I got home all I could do was throw up. I thank god that the person I killed wasn't infected with some sort of disease I could have contracted from drinking his blood. It was the worst thing I'd ever done. And if I'd known sooner that I was going to be kicked out for being me then I would have never done it."

"So she kicked you out because you were… a hybrid?" he stalled, restraining himself from saying mudblood.

"Not for being a hybrid," she corrected, "for being a _Fire Nation _hybrid, there's a difference."

"How is there a difference?" he asked skeptically. "A hybrid is a hybrid."

"No, you're just being narrow-minded," she groaned. "I was for a while, too, but I know otherwise now. You do realize that my sister and I are not the only mixed raced people out there, right?" Zuko frowned, but finally lied and nodded. "There are probably thousands of Earth Kingdom-mixed-Water Tribe babies out there. I should know, I knew a few growing up on Engoku. They're all pretty similar to me and my sister. Some have just blue, brown, or green eyes, while others have blue eyes with green and/or brown rings and blotches, or the other way around, while some have the solid green and blue eyes, or brown and blue, kind of like mine. But I only knew two or three actual benders at the time. One was name Renshu and he could only bend mud. While I knew this other guy, Hesutu, who could bend earth and water separately. But when it came down to crossing the Fire Nation bloodline, that was out of the question. The Fire Nation was the Motherland. No one could touch that. That was pureblood. No one wanted to touch it anyways. Most people hated the Fire Nation, and the Fire Nation refugees reciprocated the feeling, but they got along if they had to. I remember my old babysitter, Koniko, I want to say she was twenty, but anyways, she had a relationship with a waterbender. My father hired her sort of for that reason, so he knew she wasn't prejudice. But that relationship couldn't last."

"What exactly happened?" Zuko asked sincerely.

"Oh, well, I was eleven, and my father had to go into town that day for some shopping, and Koniko said she wasn't going to be able to watch me because she was busy with other things. So my father took me with him and we were shopping and I saw her with her boyfriend. I asked him if I could go say hi, but he told me not to bother her. I wasn't going to listen, so I went ahead and started to walk across the street to say hi. But I got to about the middle when her father and the other guy's father both stormed up to them. They tore the two apart in front of everyone and just started wailing on their kids, fully adult kids mind you. The father of the waterbender just kept punching his son's face, yelling at him angrily. Koniko's father slapped her, punched her, kicked her in the face, he had her on the ground. And to make matters worse, he was a firebender, so everything he did to her involved fire. He just kept snarling, "We are Fire Nation! We are Fire Nation! See this? This is fire!" He really destroyed her face, the skin practically melted off. My father saw the whole thing. He ran into the streets, picked me up and just went home. He left his basket and everything we were going to buy. He was pretty horrified and shaken up about the whole thing."

"So this Koniko," Zuko started, "was her scar worse than mine?"

"I wouldn't know," Hiashi sighed, "she died two days later."

"What?" he almost yelled. "How could she have died? Her burns can't have been that bad!"

"Zuko, she burned the inside of her esophagus. Her face literally melted, she couldn't breathe through her nose any more. It burned down to the bone and you expect her to survive? You got off lucky, as did I." She pushed herself to her feet and leaned over the edge of the ship, watching the small waves hit the sides. A silence fell between them, leaving Hiashi alone with her thoughts momentarily. Her face began to twitch and her eyes became watery, several tears falling from her cheeks and into the water below them.

"Are you okay?" Zuko asked hastily. "What's the matter?"

"Oh my goodness, I feel mortified," she choked out with laughter, wiping the tears off her face with her wrist. "I… I just… it just hit me my father's dead. I mean, I was always so rude to him, but he never stopped loving me, no matter how badly I messed up. I always told myself he was stupid and that I hated him, but none of that's true. And now that he's gone… I really miss my dad." She held her hand over her mouth and turned away from Zuko to cry again, trying her best to keep herself quiet and dignified. Zuko hesitated for a while before finally deciding to embrace her and allow her to cry in his arms. Her body at first became tenser, but she never said anything, still maintaining a certain level of tension. "When I found out this Zhao killed him," Hiashi spoke with a cracking voice, "I thought killing him would make me feel better, but simply doing so wouldn't suffice. I… I had so much anger and I figured out why: This whole time I wasn't mad at the world for turning its back on me, but that this man took the only person in it that actually cared. I mean, Kyyoku cared, but he was replaceable. My dad isn't. My dad was the only thing I had left, and the only thing I thought I'd have for a long time, but to lose him too tore me up inside." She pushed herself out of Zuko's and walked to the ledge opposite of them and stared into the horizon. "I only hope now he's looking down from heaven, not ashamed of what I've done."

'-'


	61. Fourth Stage of Five

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's Note: Remember my new Deviant Art page. If you've already gone, well thank you, and if you didn't, well you suck. And if you have and go now and there are no new pictures, I'm sorry.

Also, I got my first review in over… what is it, a year??? Frikin awesome! Livstar235 I shall give you a shout out. You actually gave me an idea for this chapter when you mentioned Zuko's mother. Actually, I've been debating that. So I made a mention. I don't know what you mean by this story being WAY of the original plot of the Avatar, but I'm thinking that sort of means this plot wasn't that original but you still liked it. Shoot, I'll take it! Hahaha, it's like almost 3 AM and I'm a bit sleep deprived…

Chapter sixty: Fourth Stage of Five

'-'

"How much longer until we hit land?" Sokka asked Aang from the back of Appa. "I'm hungry, tired, and I _really_ need to use the bathroom right about now."

"Don't worry, Sokka, it shouldn't be too long," Aang smiled. "We're in the middle of the Earth Kingdom so we're not even near water yet!"

"I can't believe I'm going home!" Tsuchi squealed from the saddle. "I wonder how they're going to react. Do you think they'll be happy? I'll bet they'll be happy! My aunt and my grandpa will be so proud of me! My grandma won't, but she can suck it, I got to save the world with the Avatar!"

"You're really excited, aren't you?" Katara laughed with a hint of sarcasm.

"Are you kidding?" Tsuchi chuckled. "I'm more than excited! I haven't seen my family or my village for over seven months! I'm ecstatic! And you guys can come visit me all the time! Maybe I can talk my aunt into moving more south! You know, so that way we can be closer! And we can visit all the time and stuff! It'll be fun! Are there any islands near the South Pole? There are, huh? I think there are."

"You should try Kyoshi Island," Sokka suggested. "We know a lot of good people there."

"Are you being honest, or are you just saying that because of Suki?" Katara smirked. She and Aang laughed, but Sokka simply smiled and shook his head.

"Speaking of which," Tsuchi frowned, "but not about said Suki person, I just remembered we forgot your note in the last world with David. Are you going to go back and get it?"

"Probably," Sokka replied quietly. "But I don't know if we should go back."

"Well, he did say we were welcomed any time," Tsuchi shrugged. "I mean, yeah he was mad and whatnot, but he was still pretty chill." Sokka nodded, but did not say anything after.

"So what are you going to do when you get home?" Aang asked from the front.

"Well, I'm taking you all back to my place, obviously!" Tsuchi said quickly. "And then the next day I'm going to show you guys around! I'm going to introduce you to all my friends like Gen, he's really short, but he's got the craziest stories, even if they aren't real. And then there's Yaozu, he's a brainiac. Oh! And I absolutely have to show you off to Suyin! She's such a bitch because she thinks she's all rich and better than me! Now I get to rub the Avatar in her smug pug face!" Tsuchi sighed in content and reclined backwards onto the saddle. "Tomorrow's going to be a good day. Oh, when are you guys going to head back to the South Pole? Don't you want to see your dad?"

"We have plenty of time to head back before his troop returns," Sokka answered. "They'll probably be home by tomorrow, five days the latest depending on where they are."

"It's going to be so great to see dad again," Katara smiled. "It's been so long since we've seen him; do you think he'll be as excited as we are?" The three of them continued to exchange anticipation of seeing their family, almost ignoring Aang, but that was okay. Aang smiled bleakly and turned forward to keep his eyes on the land below them. He had no one to return home to unlike the rest of them. Instead he gets to either go off on his own or simply stay as a guest with one of the two groups and their family.

_Lucky them_, Aang thought to himself. _They have family and I don't. Still, I shouldn't be jealous. I should be happy for them. They left their families to help me, so I should be grateful. _

"Hey look! We're almost there!" Tsuchi exclaimed, pointing to the hill that was projecting out of the water.

'-'

"I need a pick-me-up. It's days like these I could use some salvia," Hiashi mumbled.

"Salvia?" Zuko asked sharply.

"Yes, Zuko," she rolled her eyes. "Do you even know what that is?"

"Of course I do!" he snapped. "I just never saw you as someone to do drugs."

"When you're in a gang you do almost anything," she frowned. "Crystals, salvia, mushrooms, opium. Most of them leave you shit-faced, but salvia made me feel better. It's a natural mood elevator."

"You're ridiculous," he grumbled, shaking his head.

"You should try it some day," she muttered, turning to the ocean.

Hiashi's eyes were sore from the tears she finally managed to stop. It had been so long since she cried she was unsure of how to control herself or how to deal with it but she managed. The sky was turning a darker purple, signaling the approach of morning even though the sky had yet to brighten. She sighed and continued leaning over the edge, the two of them barely exchanging words to each other but still being courteous and acknowledging the other's presence every so often. This time it was Zuko's turn.

"You're looking better," he said stiffly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hiashi frowned. "I look better? As opposed to what?"

"When I first met you," Zuko growled quietly. "When I first met you, your face was covered in bruises and abrasions and all sorts of burns, but your wounds have healed up nicely since then that I've noticed you have a nice face."

"Is that discluding the new ones I got?" she pointed out, her eyes darting to a new burn on her calve.

"You do realize 'discluding' isn't a word?" Zuko noted. "What happened to capacious lexicon and being erudite in vocabulary?"

"Eh, I already know I'm smarter than you," she heaved, "no need to prove it anymore. And besides I get to a point where I can get anyone to believe what I say. I got several people to believe that 'nervohyoous' was a word. They didn't know I was just pronouncing 'nervous' polyphonically. I also somehow managed to convince a girl that living creatures are only allotted a certain amount of heart beats throughout their whole lives, which is why animals with fast heart beats die sooner than animals with slower heart beats, or people who get heart attacks die sooner. So by running you are killing yourself faster. But that girl was stupid so I don't know why she thought that was true."

"Is any of that true?" Zuko actually chuckled lightheartedly.

"Oddly enough, yes," she smiled, stifling a laugh herself. "People on Engoku are generally stupid to begin with, so they believe mostly everything they hear."

"Well, then how'd you get as smart as you are?" Zuko frowned. "Are there even schools there?"

"You have to remember, my father was a very privileged man growing up," she explained. "His father was probably one of the most respected men in the Fire Nation. Well, not exactly the most respected, probably one-hundredth and fifty at best, but still, so he had the financial benefit to attend a prestigious school. My dad was very smart so he taught me. There were schools in Engoku, some of them free, but amateur at best. But the others cost an ass-load of money and those were probably the worst because they were ran by greedy sons of bitches that mostly cared about getting their pay rather than teaching children. I got to witness the classes on two different occasions. My father found the schools and put me in several of them before he finally decided to teach me himself."

"That could explain how you learned firebending, but earth—"

"From my neighbor, Sara," she intervened. "She was old, but she was good."

"And she was okay with you?" he furrowed his eyebrows.

"She was old, not a prick," she sighed. "She was a very tolerant woman; she actually liked my dad a lot. She treated him like a son, so me like a granddaughter by proxy."

"But if you've known so many tolerant people, then why would you run away from home?" he asked. Hiashi frowned and looked into the water below them.

"Zuko, there's a reason why the Fire Nation was so close to winning the war," she replied quietly. "Tolerant people don't survive on Engoku. If you don't hate people, you're usually nice. And nice people never win." She covered her mouth to cough and wiped her hand on her stomach. "Man, you've been bombarding me with questions and it kind of hurts to recall a lot of this stuff. Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" The tables had switched now and it was Zuko's turn to turn away.

"My mother went missing when I was younger," he mumbled. "I don't know what happened to her." Hiashi's face contracted and she turned to look at him.

"Well, why don't you try and find her?" she suggested. "I mean, the odds of her being dead are very slim, and now you have the resources to find her."

"The only person who knew what happened to her is dead. Any chance of finding her has been cut off. Any chance of even knowing where to start… I wouldn't know."

"And she just walked out on you? No explanation? She just up and left? Why?"

"She was trying to protect me," he growled. "She was not a bad woman. She wanted to save me. She did something she was not supposed to do. I don't know what but she had to leave to protect me. It was the only way." Another uncomfortable silence fell the two of them and they turned away from each other.

"So what do you have in store now?" Hiashi asked him. "Now that you're going to be the new Fire Lord, what are you going to do? Are you going to restore the honor of the Fire Nation and start a new era of love and peace?"

"Good lord, no," he scoffed. "Peace, maybe, but there's much to be redone. There is no way that the Fire Nation populace will ever simply become nice to the rest of the nations. There will always be that hostility, at least for a while. If anything, we need to start rebuilding the alliances with the other countries if we want to stand a chance. None of the other nations can live in our country for a while. We may suffer a lot of grief, but it will be a part of the healing process. So many people died, so many places destroyed, prison camps, slave ran factories, there is anger from them and there is no way we can solve this instantaneously. It's risky enough for any remaining Fire Nation soldiers out there unsupervised because I can guarantee you there will be civilians who will kill those remaining soldiers. Maybe not today, but if they're even seen, they'll be killed on the spot. So many people were displaced because of this war, so there will be people looking for their families. And plenty of them will go home to empty houses. Obviously there'll be rapid decolonization from the Earth Kingdom. There is probably always going to be that lingering racial tension between the nations, especially the Resistance which from what I understand is not going to stop until they actually have each of the nations for themselves. I actually feel ridiculous saying this but we may have to change our nation's symbol. It will still be fire, but now that… it's been tainted by this war, with murder, more of a pogrom than an attempt to conquer. When people see the Fire Nation symbol all they'll be able to think about is the holocaust that it was affiliated with. Any neo-War propaganda will be illegal, with prison sentences. I'm going to have to be unsympathetic about it, but if I'm lenient, establishing amity will be impossible. Peace? If we're lucky, but there will be no love. Possibly not for another hundred years."

"So I _still_ won't be safe?" Hiashi whispered under her breath. "What the hell… I was wishing after this war ended I could live a normal life, but what do I have going for myself? I… I'm always going to be hated. What am I going to do?"

"Stay with me," Zuko said suddenly. Hiashi's breath was caught in her throat and her heart froze when the words slipped from his mouth.

"Zuko," she hesitated, trying her hardest to force the words from her mouth, "what exactly do… what… what do you… mean… by… that?"

"Stay with me," Zuko repeated in the same tone. "In my palace. You can stay with me."

"Yeah, but as what?" she snapped. "I mean, you never listen to me, what good would any opinion of mine make in trying to establish a new nation?"

"Every Fire Lord needs a Fire Lady." Hiashi's breath once again caught in her throat. She swallowed hard to attempt to clear the imaginary obstruction, but it worked to no avail.

"Excuse me," she frowned, picking the scab on her neck, "did I hear you properly?"

"Hiashi, I don't want you leaving my side," he continued in the same monotonous voice. "I didn't want you leaving my side. When you were ambushed by those girls from Engoku and almost died I wasn't sure what to think. I stayed by your side hoping you wouldn't die. Then I had to handle a mission by myself and for the first time in a while I failed worse than I have before. I don't know what happened to me but since you came aboard my ship I seemed closer than ever to catching the Avatar. They went to a different universe and if it was me alone I would have never found them again, but you figured it out. When it came to the actual traveling from place to place I would not have been able to figure that out myself, but you did. You've been a bigger asset to me than many of the men on my main crew. I know I threatened to throw you off, but that was because I felt you were getting too close to me and I had become much too dependent on you. I realized though that even if I was not dependent on you I still would never be able to catch the Avatar. But with you by my side I would be closer. You became important to me for materialistic reasons but honestly it became more personal. I can't let you go now. Not after all we've been through. I can't imagine now how I'll be anywhere close to success without you. And please, this is really hard for me. I'm not an emotional kind of man who goes and tells everyone how he feels. But I know you're a rational woman who won't stay unless she has a reason to. And I'm trying to give you as many reasons as I can. You'll be protected. No one will be able to harm you because you'll have countless body guards protecting you. You won't ever have to go back to Engoku and if you do you will be safe. You can have as much control as you want. You can live openly without any danger. You can be Fire Lady Hiashi and not have to worry about people coming after you and killing you. You can voice your opinions and people will listen to you. No more hiding, no more poverty, no more people close to you dying, no more of these friends betraying you." Zuko turned to face her and stated, "Being my wife will be the greatest thing to happen to you."

Hiashi looked toward the ocean and to him several times, opening and closing her mouth in attempts to say something. "Zuko," she stuttered, "I don't know what to say…"

"What's not to know?" he said, almost yelled. "Isn't this what you've always wanted?"

"Yes, but—"

"You've told me nonstop how you want nothing more than to live your life in peace. And that's what I'm offering you."

"Zuko, I can't be you wife," she continued to stammer. "I mean, that looks bad to you, especially to those still in favor or Fire Nation supremacy. You'll be a laughing stock if you marry me, and that's not guaranteeing I'll be safe—"

"I swear on my life you will be safe," Zuko said calmly, stepping closer to her. "I won't allow it."

"I know you won't, Zuko, but no, it's not fair to you," she replied, stepping back, "I can't—" Her words were cut off when Zuko found himself suddenly grabbing her and kissing her forcefully. He would not let her speak. He could convince her to stay. It was what she wanted.

It was what he wanted.

"Hiashi, please stay with me," he said quietly into her eyes.

"Zuko," she was about to reply, but again Zuko cut her off.

"I know I can convince you," he said quietly. "Just let me."

'o'

The navy sky sparkled nicely above the four of them as they descended to land. "I'm finally going to go home!" Tsuchi cracked with a mixture of excitement tears and sheer excitement. "You guys have to stay. You know you want to."

"We'll stay for the night," Katara laughed. "But we have to go home. We promise we'll come and visit."

"You damn well better," Tsuchi jested. The group laughed and soon an eager silence fell on them as they began to get closer and closer to the beach on the other side of Chikyuu. "God, I'm just so excited!" she screeched before they landed. "Seriously, I think I'm going to jump off and run!" Her face fell for a moment and suddenly turned pensive. "Eh, what the hell!" she exclaimed loudly and before anyone could say anything Tsuchi screech and leaped from Appa, landing precariously on the beach sand she managed to bend in order to catch her, and darted towards her village.

"You know, I've said this before and I'll say it again," Sokka frowned, "that Tsuchi chick has some issues."

"Calm down, Sokka," Aang laughed, "she's just excited to be home."

"She just jumped from a hundred foot fall!" he exclaimed. "The last person to do that was you!" Katara and Aang laughed as they finally touched land.

"But someone was bound to do it," Aang smirked. "And I was flying Appa."

"All I know is that I need a bathroom really badly," Sokka groaned, following Tsuchi's feet prints. Katara hopped off Appa, still adjusting to her newly shorter leg.

"Aang," Katara frowned, "do I look ridiculous when I walk?" Aang laughed.

"You can never look ridiculous, Katara," he blushed. Katara glared at him but smiled.

"I know that was a yes, but I'll take it," she laughed, patting him playfully on the shoulder. "Come on, the other two left us behind." Katara and Aang walked side by side, bumping into each other as they walked up the uneven sand beach, whether it was intentional or accidental, Aang did not care. All he cared about was that things were back to normal. Maybe now he could focus on Katara.

"Oh my god," Katara gasped, suddenly halting. Aang raised an eyebrow, unsure of Katara's reaction. He followed her gaze with his eyes only to suddenly understand why she was horrified.

In front of them was Tsuchi's village, black and charred every building. All of the market places and homes that once graced the tiny town of Chikyuu looked now like discarded fire wood. Once brown buildings were black, either falling apart, simply skeletons, or nonexistent. Trees and plants that once were now were skeletons as well, flowers nothing more than brittle black stems, the dirt even reflecting the blackened theme of the ghost town. And staring back in even more horror than all three of them put together was Tsuchi, who was frozen in her spot.

"Tsuchi," Aang broke the silence, "Tsuchi, are you okay?"

"This," she cracked, swallowing hard, "this place… This isn't my village. This can't be my village. It's the wrong place, Aang. This isn't Chikyuu. You got the wrong place."

"Tsuchi," Katara said quietly, but Tsuchi interrupted.

"Nope, this is the wrong place!" she said loudly, her voice cracking even more. "You guys brought me to the wrong island! I think Chikyuu's further that way!"

"Tsuchi, there aren't any more islands up north," Sokka said firmly but as nicely as he could. "All the islands are down south—"

"Then this is the wrong side," Tsuchi snapped, her voice trembling roughly. "You guys brought me to the wrong side."

"Tsuchi," Aang sighed, "you live on this side of the isla—"

"Is this some kind of joke!" Tsuchi snarled, snapping her head in their direction with flames bursting from her hands. "Is this some kind of cruel joke for all the little things I've done wrong! This was Sokka's doing, huh? Look, I'm fucking sorry if I made you feel bad but this is taking it too far! God-fucking damn it, do you think this is funny! You do, don't you!"

"Tsuchi, we would never do that to you!" Katara cried. "We wouldn't even know—"

"Okay, just tell the truth!" Tsuchi said in almost a maniacal voice. "Just admit this is a joke and I'll forgive you! What do you want me to do? I'll do anything you guys want. I'll apologize to Sokka with all earnestly, I swear! I can change if this is what you're trying to teach me!"

"Tsuchi, can you listen to us?" Sokka scolded. "We're not trying to teach you a lesson—"

"Oh, you don't think I know, but I have a way of knowing!" Tsuchi snarled. "I'll show you! My aunt's house won't be there! I know Chikyuu like the back of my hand! I'll show you! It won't be there!" She darted off to the side of the row of buildings and began running down the side, not bothering to weave in and out. "You guys don't believe me, but I'll know!" she shouted behind her as Aang, Katara, and Sokka followed. "The third row from the back was where we lived! I bet you didn't know that! You can't fake that!" She stopped suddenly at the third row from the back and walked down the dark path, counting the houses. "Fourteenth house from the back," she cackled, "you can't fake that." She continued to chant the same four words over and over again as she continued to count the buildings, or in some cases, plots. "FOURTEEN!" she exclaimed, stopping at the doorway of a skeletal two-storied building. "Yeah, it's similar, but it's not it!"

"Tsuchi," Sokka said quietly, trying his best to show sympathy rather than anger.

"What is it, Sokka?" Tsuchi growled. "What are you going to try and convince me?"

"Look at the sign!" he said roughly, pointing to a black brushed white sign hanging by one nail over the door. She raised an eyebrow and looked up at the sign only to have her face fall.

"That's… my handwriting," she whispered. "I made that sign. And my aunt hung it over the…" She backed away from the store, slowly scanning over the remains. "No," she choked, "no, this can't be happening. She can't be dead. This can't be real. She's not gone. They're not gone!" Tsuchi began digging her fingers into the arm warmers yanking at them in attempts to pull them off. "No! This isn't real!" she screamed, tearing her sleeves off and grating her skin with her nails. "It's not REAL!" She fell to the floor and began rubbing her arms in the gravel, clawing at her legs. "THIS ISN'T REAL! THEY'RE NOT DEAD!" Aang, Katara, and Sokka approached her slowly as she continued exfoliating her skin with the dirt and her nails. They each crouched down and grabbed her into a group hug and allowed her to cry, for her depression was only a step away from acceptance.

T-T

I found that fairly sad to write, mostly because Tsuchi reminds me of my sister sometimes. Anyways, Hiashi's stories about convincing people that nervohyoous was a word and that whole heartbeat thing was true. I actually did that once, but the people I said that to weren't geniuses, so it was easy to do…


	62. The Final Stage

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's Note: Remember my new Deviant Art page. If you've already gone, well thank you, and if you didn't, well you suck. And if you have and go now and there are no new pictures, I'm sorry.

And to livstar235, lol, I learned most of those words about five years ago :D. I just hope this ending I've got planned is suffice.

And now the quasi conclusion of Speak No Evil, See No Lies!

Chapter sixty-one: The Final Stage

'-'

"How do you think Tsuchi's feeling?" Aang asked Katara quietly, taking a spot next to her on the beach.

"She wants to be left alone right now," Katara replied, folding her legs under her. "Sokka's keeping an eye on her."

"I feel so bad for her," Aang sighed, bringing his knees to his chest. "Why do you think she'd blame us?"

"She was just in denial," she replied. "It was easier for her. I don't think she meant to do it. I mean, she lost everything she had in one day and had to blame the closest thing there was. I'm sure she knows it was the Fire Nation now, but she wasn't blaming us for their death. Didn't you hear her? She thought we were pulling a prank on her."

"Katara," Aang heaved out roughly, "do you mind me asking you something?"

"Sure, Aang, what is it?" she smiled. Aang did not speak and continued looking out to the ocean in front of them. He could not have asked for a more perfect moment: the sun was hardly peaking from the horizon, an orange sliver mixing in with the deep indigo sky, a slight breeze gently passing the ocean, filling the air with the smell of sea water, with the planets and stars just slightly illuminating the rest of the sky, along with the morning birds thanking the spirits for another day. It was surreal, the greatest scene anyone could ever ask for a moment like this. But no matter how hard he tried he could not say what he wanted. "Aang, what is it you want to tell me?" she repeated herself with concern.

"I want to say something," he mumbled, "but I don't know if I should."

"Go ahead, Aang," she encouraged. "What is it you want to tell me?" Aang's eyes darted over to look at her, but shot back to the sand. He took a deep breath and finally began to speak:

"Katara, I know right now is not a very good time to tell you this. I mean, we just finished ending a war and Tsuchi's whole village was destroyed right now, and there's a lot more that we should be concerning ourselves with recovering, so I'm not going to pressure you. I'm just going to tell you and let you think about it.

"Katara, I really like you, and I've been hoping for a while that maybe we could be more than friends. But any chance I got there was always something that got in my way. I've wanted to tell you so badly but I was afraid you wouldn't respond the way I hoped you would so I never said anything. I always figured I was safe since you were traveling with me, but now that the war is over I'm afraid of losing you from my life. And I know I can still visit you anytime I want, but that won't be enough for me. I'm always going to want more. Still, I don't know how you feel about me. I don't want to force anything on you, but I also really hope you feel the same way about me. I don't think it will be enough for me to just stand back without trying. Not after all we've been though. I like you too much not to try and convince you we were meant to be together. I remember you telling me you liked me just as a friend and I know you were being nice, but I couldn't help but feel hurt by it. And it's not your fault, it's mine. I should have expected those words seeing how I never made any sort of hint that I liked you like that, but it did sting a lot. It was sort of like you were telling me nothing would ever happen between us. Needless to say I've sort of been trying to get you to notice me in more than that way. I don't know if it worked, but I just needed to tell you." The two of them sat in silence, whether it was awkward or not, Aang did not care the least at that point. Katara was blushing profusely and dared not to look at him. He could see how badly she forced her eyes away from him and he did not expect anything less than that.

"Aang," Katara whispered, drawing randomly in the sand, "I don't know what to say. I mean, this is a bad time for all of us. I do like you, but I don't know yet."

"I know," Aang sighed. He stood up and walked to Appa who was sleeping on the beach right next to them. Aang reached for one of the packs and pulled something from inside. "Can you come here for a moment?"

"Um, sure," she breathed, pushing herself up and walking over to Aang. "What is it you want to show me?"

"This," he said, pulling from behind him the Hora Bud he had bought so long ago. It was slightly wilted after being handled and placed roughly in a bag for so long, but for some reason it was still hanging on to life. "I want you have this. I bought this back when we were in the Light Realm and I wanted to give it to you, but I haven't had an opportunity. You give it to someone you really like and the flower will tell you whether or not it's meant to be. I want you to have it."

"Aang, thank you," Katara sighed, reaching out for the wilting flower, "I really appreciated it, but I honestly don't know how I feel."

"It's okay," Aang smile. "I know you don't. But maybe the flower will change your mind. It's been a while since I got this flower and it should be dead by now, but it hasn't. I don't know why, maybe it's saying something, I don't know. I promise I won't pressure you or anything, but just promise me you'll consider it." Katara stared at the slightly wilted flower, trying to recall how long it had been since they were in the Light Realm. The flower should have died a long time ago, but it had not. If what Aang was saying was true then she had much to consider.

"Of course I will, Aang," she finally replied and the two quickly embraced. All he could feel was relief. Relief that he had finally told her and relief that if anything she would consider him.

'-'

"How are you holding up?" Sokka asked Tsuchi as he took a spot next to her. Tsuchi had hidden herself in a small proclivity next to the town. It was up high, almost like a hill, hidden by bushes and trees so that no one could see whoever was there. The small cliff overlooked the ocean and the two of them could see Aang and Katara below them.

"You know," Tsuchi garbled, wiping her nose on her sleeve, "my aunt told me my parents use to meet up here when they were first dating. She said it was the perfect spot for them because you could see everyone in the village, but they couldn't be seen from here. I use to come up here all the time when I wanted to be by myself. But now all I can think about is how I have no one anymore."

"That's not true," Sokka grunted, crossing his legs. "You have us now. We'll take care of you. You can come live with us at the South Pole. Aang's probably going to come with us too, so we'll all stay together."

"It's not the same," she cracked, rubbing her nose and eyes again on her sleeve. "I never go to say a proper goodbye to my aunt."

"Yes you did," he tried to convince her. "You said goodbye to her and you went to help the Avatar save the world. She didn't die in vain."

"Do you think this was a random attack?" she scoffed, coughing in her hand.

"You can't blame yourself for this," he continued. "No one could have prevented this."

"Yes, we could have!" Tsuchi snapped. "I remember Hiashi telling me the first day we met that everyone wanted me dead. She said that the Fire Nation wanted me and her dead because of who we were. This attack was no accident, Sokka! My whole village died because of me!" Sokka was unsure of how to respond. If what she said was true then there was very little he could say.

"You know," he mumbled, "you told me the same thing when I blamed myself for Esperanza's death. Why can't you take your own advice?"

"That's because it really wasn't your fault," she gurgled. "This literally is because of me! They died because of me!"

"Who's to say it's your fault? What if it was bound to happen?"

"Oh, so you're saying my village was _destine_ to die? Jeeze, thanks, Sokka, that made me feel better." She wiped her nose again on her sleeve and turned her head away from him as much as she could.

"Tsuchi, I'm just trying to help," he pleaded. "It's the least I can do for you."

"The least?" she choked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Look, I know we hate each other but out of all three of you guys you've probably been the most helpful to me with dealing with Esperanza's death." Sokka stretched his legs out in front of him and continued to talk. "I mean, you can be callus sometimes but at least you tried. I don't think you ever said you knew how I felt. I mean, Aang and Katara kept saying they knew how I felt about losing her, but they didn't. No offense to them or anything, but I was in a lot of pain when I lost my mother and it hit Katara the hardest. She was my mother, too, and yeah I loved her and it hurt to know she was gone, but she disappeared like that. It was sort of like she didn't exist anymore. And with Aang it was sort of the same thing except he saw the remains of his… well I don't remember what he would call him. Anyways, none of that could compare with Esperanza's death. To see someone you really cared about get butchered right in front of you and get their heart ripped from their chest and not being able to do anything about it… that's different. And even if I could do something I was outnumber. There was no way in hell I could have taken on everyone myself, or even with your guys' help."

"Sokka, where are you going with this?" Tsuchi growled at him.

"Tsuchi, you told me when she first died that if she hadn't died the first time then she would have died later. Now do you remember the first time we met you how your town was ambushed?" Tsuchi gasped sharply as she began to cry again, but she nodded slightly, rubbing her eyes again on her sleeve. "I don't mean to make you even more upset, but think about it. You saved them the first time. You managed to save them. But you just got lucky. What if they were supposed to die and you disrupted it? Look, before you can say anything, you managed to save them, just think of that. But then if you were here, would you have been just as lucky as the second time?"

"I don't know," she stammered, still inhaling sharply.

"Tsuchi, if you decided to stay then you probably wouldn't have been as lucky. Think about it. I know what the Fire Nation is capable of. If they didn't succeed the first time then they try again only with more and stronger forces. You guys wouldn't have stood a chance against them. And to make matters worse you would be there. At least right now there was nothing you could do because you were helping the Avatar win the war. But if you were here and you saw everyone you loved being killed… I don't think you would want that. I can right now tell you I know more or less how you feel, but I can promise you, it could have been worse."

"I hate you, Sokka," she mumbled, but she had already turned back in his direction.

"I hate you, too, Tsuchi," he replied, brining his knees to his chest. "My offer still stands if you want to come live with us."

"I'm not an arctic girl," she answered, her voice muffled in her arm. "I've never been happy in the cold."

"Well, where are you going to live?"

'-'

"I'm leaving," Tsuchi announced to Aang and Katara when they reached the beach. The sun was beginning to rise and the two of them knew she was tired and stressed just by the redness in her eyes.

"Okay," Aang frowned, stepping forward, "where exactly are you going?"

"I'm going back to the last world we were in," she sighed. "I'm starting a new life for myself."

"What!" Katara and Aang exclaimed simultaneously.

"Tsuchi, you can't leave!" Katara cried. "Why can't you stay here?"

"My sister made a point to me," she replied. "I can't live on this planet anymore. My family was killed because I was a half-breed. I can't put you guys or anyone else in this world in any more danger. So I have to leave."

"But why the last world?" Aang had to ask. "I mean why not with Hasmik and her brother, or Arekin? They welcomed you."

"I can't live in a cave for the rest of my life," Tsuchi answered quickly. "I wouldn't be able to tolerate living in Funland, I wasn't invited to live in the same world as Souixe, Enzanasoshi and Rachel are in the middle of their own war, I need darkness, and even if we could get back into the other world where we were almost sacrificed I would never go back there. The last place we were in is my only option."

"No it's not!" Katara pleaded. "Tsuchi, please stay."

"I have nothing but you guys left," Tsuchi smiled. "I already told Sokka that I can't live with you guys. Even if I could tolerate the cold, me staying here next to you puts you into so much danger. So in case anyone ever comes to kill me, they know I no longer reside on this planet. I can't stay here. I need to start fresh. I need a new start."

"So you're just leaving us?" Aang snapped. "After all that's happened, you're just going to abandon us?"

"No, I talked to Sokka about that, too," Tsuchi responded with honest sorrow. "I can visit you guys once a year when the planets are even with each other. I mean I should be fine. It shouldn't be hard."

"You're going somewhere you've never spent a long period of time in and you decided to move there?" Katara nearly shouted. "You don't have food! You don't have money! You don't speak their language! You don't have anything to help you!"

"I'll figure something out," Tsuchi replied aggressively. "But as of right now I just wanted to tell you goodbye."

And so she did to all three of them, giving them a lengthy apology for her behavior over the past few months and an even longer farewell, especially to Sokka who, even though she hated him with such passion, somehow managed to reach an impasse with him. It was not long but Sokka finally drew the portal for her and she was off. After a long time with four in the group it seemed strange to be dwindled down back to just the three of them. It was an awkward silence, but the trio was probably contemplating the same things. Now that Tsuchi had decided to leave each of them began to wonder how the rest of their new friends were doing now that they were returned to their world. Maybe Dr. Light and the Dark Realm were finally reaching an agreement on their treaty so they no longer had to be separated. Hasmik and Horicon were probably going back to their lives at the hotel, looking out at the entrance of their cave at the weather that kept them there, but still thankful that at least they were able to live their lives without much struggle. Perhaps Rachel was with Blu, trying her hardest to find Ceign, so that maybe she could have a permanent body to call her own. Souixe was probably finished with her probation and out with Liiri on another adventure, safe in the woods without any vampires to worry about, sort of hoping that Horicon would be invited to her world. Arekin might have come home to his wife and his new twins Nerissa and Lemuel while Astrid tried to nurse Osric's hand. Maybe Marcellus found someone to call his own, or maybe the people of Funland were celebrating their newly built democracy, free from violence and tyranny and a place where people could truly be happy. The rest of Esperanza's family was possibly celebrating the newly brought rain they gave up their own child for, and maybe David was now just discovering Tsuchi in his backyard. To them it was mindboggling as to how many individual lives there were out there, at how many could be affected by a single person, or at how many different stories there were out there that may not have been heard. Still, it was an eye opener for them for now they knew why some people do the things they do. Sometimes it is over miniscule feuds, or because that was how they were born, many others are just watching out for their own, while other are just brought up that way.

Still, other motives remain a mystery, a mystery that may never be figured out…

'-'

_My neck is sore_, Zuko grunted in his head. It was the next morning and he could not help but feel a little disoriented from his previous night's antics. He sat up on his shikifuton and looked around suspiciously. _Something's not right…_

He looked around his room only to see the floor sporadically covered in specks of blood and what appeared to be skin concentrated next to his bed. "What the hell!" he snarled, jumping away from the pile of blood stained skin next to him. There was an attack there no doubt, but if there was, then why was he not awoken by any fighting? She was gone and something or someone took her. "Hiashi!" he shouted loudly, but heard no reply from anyone. He grabbed his robe from the seat next to him and threw it on as quickly as he could. "Hiashi!" he shouted again, tying the robe as he walked barefooted down the corridor. "Hiashi! Where are you?" It did not feel right to him. Something was eerily familiar with how his father was killed. No one saw the murderer, no one heard the murderer, and for her to disappear without any sign of a fight? He himself was right there in the room, but yet he heard nothing. The longer it took for him to find her, the more suspicious he became and soon his hands were in front of him, sure that someone was on board.

He was unsure of how long he scoured the ship looking for any sign of her struggle but seeing nothing he finally assumed she was in her own room, or possibly upstairs. He walked the last few meters to her room and knocked on the door, only to notice it was left slightly ajar. "Hiashi," he sounded first before pushing the door more open, "are you in here?" He pushed the door open all the way and peered inside to see nothing but more skin and blood specks on the floor. The thought of checking for missing things in case she left crossed his mind but just as quickly as the idea appeared, he just as quickly debunked it. _If it was a kidnapping or something worse… they would have taken a trophy. And her damn rat would have run off if she was attacked._ He snarled loudly and stormed out the door to the top of the ship. She was taken, and worst of all, right under his nose. There was something much too discomforting about what was going on and something much too similar to the murder of his own father.

And to him it had the name of The Resistance written all over it.

He reached the top of the ship to be greeted by the blinding sunlight of the morning and Li Rong napping in the same spot where she had fallen asleep last night. Nothing was touched. There was no evidence of anything other than foul play but there was no evidence of supporting it either.

"Zuko," Iroh's voice suddenly called from the pier, "are you up there?"

"Uncle Iroh?" Zuko called back, dashing to the edge of the ship. "Where have you been? Where were you yesterday?"

"Doing… old people stuff," Iroh said nonchalantly, shifting his eyes. "Never mind me, what are you doing here? Where is Hiashi?"

"She's gone!" he shouted. "Someone took her!"

'-'

And that's mostly all, folks! I messed up badly on the last part, but that's okay. I still have three more chapters to post here. On that's more or less not pertinent, the EPILOGUE (yes, there is an epilogue, I typed it up forever ago, but I won't be posting it until next week, maybe Friday or Saturday), and then a poem that is more or less pertinent. Anyways, I would like to thank you all for this 61 chapter ride, and I hope to release a sequel soon! Ha! If you thought this was the end and you were thinking "Oh, thank God!" well now you have to suffer! Muahahahahahaha! Anyways, keep an eye out for the sequel! If you read the upcoming epilogue, you can probably guess what it will be called. Anyways, thank you again for tuning in, and remember, there's still one more pertinent chapter. So until the next time, Signing Off!


	63. Credits

Disclaimer: The following credits are entirely fictitious. Any claim that this is real entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

This is just for fun. Usually at the end of my fics I try and rally together a group of voice actors. But of course, I don't know any famous people. So instead of doing that I just decide to put credits up anyways, just so that way you, the readers can get a sense of more or less how these people sound like, especially how some of the OCs sound like. Anyways, it's not just for your sake or mine, but I have to give credit where credit is due, and that is to the animators of Avatar: the Last Airbender for creating such a fantastic show (c'mon, you know it's true, that's why you're reading this…). So in the spirit of things, I construed amateur credits just for us, so enjoy. Most of the stuff is indeed boring but I do have notes from the story and allusions to the outside world that somehow got integrated into my dialogue, so you can go ahead and skip what you want. But please make use of this… It took me two weeks to find voices that sound similar to characters (except those who already had voices). I listened to many YouTube videos, had to go scour the internet for movie clips or shows I've never watched before and it was really stressful. But I did, so appreciate it before I kill your puppy O.O. Enjoy!

And remember, **I HAVE TWO MORE CHAPTERS ON THE WAY!** Movies do this too, when they put the credits, and then they have the final scene in the movie, so please don't forget about me T-T

_**Credits**_

Voices By

Zach Tyler Eisen- Aang  
Mae Whitman- Katara  
Jack DeSena- Sokka  
Dante Basco- Zuko  
Dee Bradley Baker- Appa, Momo, Hyroki, Li Rong, Weosa, various  
Mako/Greg Baldwin- Iroh  
Rachael MacFarlane- Hiashi  
Anjelah Johnson- Tsuchi, female gangster Ch.2  
Daniel Dae Kim- Earth Kingdom Soldier #1/ Commander Hong  
Constance Marie - Touka, Saki Ch.9, Eris, lady vendor Ch.34, Rechele  
James Sie- Earth Kingdom Soldier #2, various scholars, various Fire Nation soldiers Ch.56+  
Ryan Reynolds - Hotel clerk,Hykiru, Commander Ch.17  
Jason Miller**- **Zuko's ship captain, Physician Ch.55, various Fire Nation soldiers Ch.56+  
Zach Throne- old Chikyuu merchant, Zuko's physician Ch.27  
Kenan Thompson- Lil' Choujue, animal merchant, Ch. 37  
Clyde Kusatsu- Doku/ Male Gangster Ch.4, various Fire Nation soldiers Ch.56+  
John DiMaggio-Various gangsters, vendor Ch.35  
Christopher Masterson - Arekin  
Olivia Wilde- Chana  
Jeff Anderson- Osric  
Evanna Lynch- Astrid  
Michael Clarke Duncan- Marcellus, male gangster Ch.2  
Scott Menville- Claudius  
AnnaSophia Robb- Melek  
Tom Kane- Horatio, police Ch.21  
Billy West- Bo Bob, various Funicans  
Wallace Shawn- Moonshine  
Robert Pine- Lord Cattivo, Moonbright, various vampires Ch.36  
Miranda Cosgrove- Hasmik  
Drake Bell- Horicon  
Pat Musick- Miss Karapetyan  
Keone Young- Didier Lambert de Loulay, Scholar Weizhe  
Jorja Fox- Sureiyaa  
Eliza Coupe**- **Shiden, Park  
Jodie Foster- Gingitsune, various sharp shooters Ch.30  
Josh Groban- voice of Kyyoku, hotel singer Ch.21  
Michael Madsen- various wolves  
Ellen Page- Rachel/Screech, ghost Ch.28  
Kate Beckinsale- Cruel  
Kelli Williams- Dr. Light  
André Sogliuzzo- Harris, Laundromat owner Ch.52  
Sophia Bush- Souixe, Ceria  
Aseem Batra- Mary Sue, various Funicans, Liiri  
Holland Taylor- The Queen  
Johnny A. Sanchez- Santiago, Agapeto  
America Ferrera- Cenobia, various children Ch.41  
Vanessa Rice- Esperanza  
Rick Ramos- Chief-Mayor-King Heliodoro  
Manny Perez- celebrant Ch.47  
Judy Reyes- Guadalupe  
Grey DeLisle- Azula, Enzanasoshi girl Ch.14, little boy Ch.17  
Jim Meskimen- Lieutenant Jee, waiter Ch.21  
Mark Hamill- Fire Lord Ozai  
Jason Isaacs- Admiral Zhao  
Mila Kunis- Marukai, pyrokinetic girl Ch.14, Janis Ch.49  
Benjamin McKenzie- Xang, customer Ch.52  
Rachel McAdams- Zayika, blonde girl Ch.52  
David Archuleta- Lian, David  
Lucille Soong- Mary/ Mei Li  
Eliza Dushku -Kurogane/ voice of mystery assassin and voice (various chapters)

**Series Produced**  
Michael Dante DiMartino - executive producer  
Bryan Konietzko - executive producer  
Aaron Ehasz - co-executive producer / co-producer  
Miken Wong - line producer / animation producer

**Series Original Music**  
Jeremy Zuckerman  
Benjamin Wynn

**Series Film Editing**  
Jeff Adams

**Series Casting**  
Andrea Romano  
Leah Buono  
Sarah Noonan  
Maryanne Dacey

**Series Art Direction**  
Bryan Konietzko

**Series Production** **Management**  
Andrew Huebner - production manager  
Lisa Yang - post-production supervisor  
Eric Coleman - executive in charge of production: Nickelodeon  
Jenna Luttrell - executive in charge of production: Nickelodeon

**Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director**  
Justin Ridge - assistant director  
Bobby Rubio - assistant director

**Series Art Department**  
Aldina Dias - designer / prop designer  
Hye-Jung Kim - painter  
Justin Ridge - storyboard artist / illustrator  
Bobby Rubio - storyboard artist / storyboard  
Juan Jose Meza-Leon - storyboard artist  
Ian Graham - storyboard artist / storyboard  
Kenji Ono - storyboard artist / storyboard  
Giancarlo Volpe - storyboard artist / storyboard  
Christofer Graham - storyboard / storyboard artist  
Miyuki Hoshikawa - storyboard / storyboard artist  
Ricardo F. Delgado - assistant art director  
Tomihiro Yamaguchi - storyboard / storyboard revision artist  
Dave Filoni - storyboard artist  
Lauren MacMullan - storyboard / storyboard artist  
Jung Sangwoong - background paint supervisor  
Oreste Canestrelli - storyboard  
Ethan Spaulding - storyboard / illustrator

**Series Sound Department**  
Jimmy Lifton - foley  
Paulette Victor-Lifton - foley  
Aran Tanchum - supervising foley mixer / foley mixer  
Vincent Guisetti - foley artist  
Mishelle Fordham - assistant sound recording engineer / voice editor  
Justin Brinsfield - sound recording engineer / recording engineer  
Sanaa Cannella - foley artist  
Jeffrey Kettle - foley mixer  
Tom Maydeck - sound re-recording mixer  
Benjamin Wynn - sound designer  
Jeremy Zuckerman - sound designer  
Matthew Thomas Hall - foley editor  
Sergio Silva - foley editor  
Lou Teti - sound re-recording mixer

**Series Visual Effects**  
Ernest Chan - digital effects artist  
Park Min Sim - animator: JM Animation

**Series Animation Department**  
Elsa Garagarza - background artist / background supervisor  
Angela Mueller - character designer / character layout artist  
Bryan Konietzko - character designer / background designer  
Kathryn Gilmore - animation checker / lip assignment  
Dao Le - animation editor / animatic editor  
Brigitte Franzka-Fritz - character cleanup  
Hye-Jung Kim - background color / color stylist  
Heiko Drengenberg - layout artist / character layout artist  
Enzo Baldi - background designer  
Jean-Paul Bondy - background color  
Bryan Evans - background color  
Andy Dill - animator: main title animation  
Tom Dankiewicz - background designer / background layout  
Will Weston - background color / background designer  
Ethan Spaulding - background designer  
Sang-Jin Kim - animation director / animator  
Aaron Alexovich - character designer / additional character design  
Ray Smyth - layout artist  
Jevon Bue - background designer  
Kim Jin Gon - key animator  
Jong-Jin Choi - key animator  
Jong-won Kwong - key animator  
George S. Chialtas - lip assignment  
Ricardo F. Delgado - character designer / background artist  
Li Hong - additional character design / character designer  
Kang Lin Zhu - character layout artist  
Mike Van Cleave - background designer  
Jae-Myung Yu - animation director

**Series Casting Department**  
Shannon Reed - casting assistant  
Maryanne Dacey - casting supervisor  
Leah Buono - original casting  
Sarah Noonan - original casting

**Series Editorial Department**  
Oliver Pearce - post-production coordinator  
André Boutilier - additional post-production services  
Jason Stiff - director of post-production  
Jeff Adams - supervising picture editor  
Dexter P. - telecine colorist  
Kevin Zelch - assistant picture editor / assistant editor  
J.F. Kinyon - additional post-production services  
Hye-Jung Kim - color supervisor  
Anna Adams - additional post-production services  
Rohner Segnitz - additional post-production services

**Series Music Department**  
Thanh Tran - music librarian / music preparation

**Series Other crew**  
Michael Dante DiMartino - story editor / title designer  
Jason Stiff - director of post production  
Joann Estoesta - production coordinator  
Siu-Leung Lee - calligraphy and translation / Chinese calligraphy and translation  
Lisa Wahlander - martial arts coordinator / production assistant  
Edwin Zane - cultural consultant  
Joshua Hamilton - assistant to writers  
Bryan Konietzko - title designer / main title designer  
Kati Mattila - production coordinator / production assistant  
Lily Wang - production assistant  
Gary Scheppke - production assistant  
Tami Friend - production coordinator  
Andrea Romano - voice director  
Greg Rankin - production assistant  
Sifu Kisu of the Harmonious Fists Chinese Athletic Association

**Series Thanks  
**Margie Cohn Claudia  
Spinelli Mark Taylor

Halfatheory357-"Script"/fic writer  
Linkfreak-Critic

_**Music**_

'Pushing Me Away' by Vitamin String Quartet

'Rivage' by Cirque Du Soleil

'Let Me Fall' by Josh Groban

'Réveil' by Cirque Du Soleil

'In Cælum Fero' by Karl Jenkins

This fic is owned by  
Digital Animation, Smiley Face Dude Inc.  
© Copyright 2005-2009

This is an owned property of Halfatheory357

.

**NOTES**

Hiashi was modified a million and one times, but I finally settled on a character that most people would hate in the beginning (a Mary Sue as you all would like to call it) but one that would slowly evolve over the course of the story into someone who was less of an MS. But I was also aiming for someone who was basically ambiguous in personality. Not sure if I accomplished that, though. Her hair is dyed the red color, if you didn't know that. Only the ends of her hair are naturally black.

Tsuchi on the other hand was supposed to be a more predictable character, a more normal person so to speak. I put of lot of my own personality into her, mostly when she says things that are incomprehensible. Her hair was accidentally dyed green in a childhood mishap when she was throwing rocks at a boomslang macaw nest (a boomslang is a type of viper). The mama macaw vomited on her, which in turn dyed it a neon green color, which affected the scalp as well. But after years of sun and washing it away it faded to a really dark green instead. It's supposed to fade completely in a few years.

It came to my attention a while ago while randomly searching the internet that these names just so happen to be names of secondary characters in the anime Naruto (there's a character named Kin Tsuchi and someone named Hiashi, who is apparently the dad of this girl who needs to speak like she's got a pair). So if you thought I decided to take those names from Naruto, well, you're wrong. I started this story when I was in eighth grade and didn't even hear about Naruto until I was a freshman in high school. And when I tried to watch the show I couldn't really follow it and when I finally did get it, I still didn't. And then Naruto tried to go into a woman's locker room and that just killed it for me. Needless to say, I don't like Naruto the character and I don't like the show. But I do respect Sakura and her actions and I find she's the only one who does make sense on the show. That and that emo guy that she and the blonde chick are obsessed with for some reason. But him just barely.

Heterochromia (also known as a _heterochromia iridis_ or _heterochromia iridium_) is an ocular condition in which one iris is a different color from the other iris (complete heterochromia), or where the part of one iris is a different color from the remainder (partial heterochromia or sectoral heterochromia). It is a result of the relative excess or lack of pigment within an iris or part of an iris. This condition usually results due to uneven melanin content. A number of causes are responsible, including genetics such as chimerism, Horners Syndrome and Waardenburg syndrome. A common cause in females with heterochromia is X-inactivation, which can result in a number of heterochromatic traits, such as calico cats. Trauma and certain medications, such as some prostaglandin analogues can also cause increased or decreased pigmentation in one eye. On occasion, the condition of having two different colored eyes is caused by blood staining the iris after sustaining injury. I knew a girl with two colored eyes... One was blue and the other was brown.

When designing the Enzanasoshi world, I figured it'd be an easier transition for either the readers or the characters to go to a world similar to them with element bending. It was sort of like adjusting to world on the outside for Amish people, foreigners, or teachers. It's like you're use to one style of life and if you go to another you end up with culture shock. So by making Enzanasoshi similar but somewhat significantly different made it easier for the Avatar people.

The Funland world was a production of one of my eighth grade friends. She wrote the original story and I based a world off that. I don't think I ever got the actual story, and if I did, I might have deleted it, which doesn't sound like something I'd do. Well, maybe. But the story goes like this: there was a really logical girl who was always stressing out about every little thing (it was the epitome of the girl who wrote the story) and she goes to this world (Funland) and of course, they're all excited, and they want her to stay, but there was the old king who wanted to make Funland sad, but as it turned out since the girl was so smart, she manages to kill him. That and water is deadly in their world. That might have been in the story or I might have made that up. I'm pretty sure it was in the story…

I don't know how I came up with the Metz world. My sister went to France and she brought me back this really fancy looking book of hotels in France (which is a really weird gift, but I liked it) and I found a hotel in there that was really pretty and I started wondering how the Avatar people would react to being in a place like that. But the idea of them being outside in a world-world seemed boring, so I put them in a cave. A really BIG cave. So imagine your whole city was inside a cave. It'd be more like the top of the cave would be about where the Empire State Building is (the top of the building, anyways) and then your city's in the cave, so these are a lot of caves and a lot of cities. But all of the places have to be inside since there's freakish weather, so they've got crazy array of tunnels connecting the different mountains and caves. Thought that'd be awesome, too.

The world with Screech and Blu was based off a comic another friend came up with called The Naught. The planted was like a bunch of cone-shaped meteors attached to a central gravitational pull, which is how the planet managed to somewhat support life. If I know correctly, she stopped writing it.

Souixe is pronounced Sweeks, FYI. Also, her world was based on the series or manga my other friend Linkfreak131 came up with. I don't know if she stopped making it. It was a pretty interesting series. I only came up with the characters, but the basis was hers.

The Mexican world was my idea. I went to Mexico my eighth grade year and I just saw Avatar there! I knew I had to do that. Like, seriously, that was ALL I could think about in Mexico… So I basically had to debate on whether or not what was going to go down, and after much cutting and pasting I figured it out, and it's a good thing too. I almost ruined my story with the original plot! I won't tell you what it was. But I did need a Yue for this chapter, so I figured this be the best way.

As you might have read, I wanted to do a crossover, but I finally decided against it. It's like I wanted to, but the think I wanted to cross it over with, well, I realized I hated it with a passion and by crossing it over with Avatar would make me want to slit my wrists. Don't get me wrong, I thought I liked it, but retrospectively, it was really stupid. I won't tell you what it was supposed to be since I don't want to start drama with any readers, and I want readers to stay here. So the mystery crossover shall remain just that. I mean, I had the first chapter for the crossover typed up y todo, but that's why it took me so long to update. I typed it and I got writer's block, then I decided against it when I realized I couldn't do it. So they just ended up in Roswell, New Mexico. Though those chapters probably could have been better, I thought it was pretty good for a last minute decision with meh BF linkfreak131. She actually suggested MegaMan, which sounded like a good idea and I thought she would really like it… but then I realized I knew nothing of the series and decided against it… So for those of you looking forward to a crossover, well, I'm sorry…

.

**Allusions from the outside world (I have to give credit where credit is due. Otherwise that's plagiarism)**

The whole traveling to different universes was from the His Dark Materials series. Yeah, it wasn't original, big whoop, want to fight about it???

City Court Inn is an actual inn in China if I remember properly.

Lil Choujue translates to Lil Joker, a character from MadTv

The line "Why do I always shout first? Just gives them a chance to run away," was from the Simpsons

The whole 'Bow Down' song in chapter 2 was from Invader Zim.

The line "I don't know why, but I got a sudden chill deep within my soul" was also from the Simpsons

The lines "OW! Let go of me!" she snarled. / "I'll break your arm if I have to! What are you doing?" in chapter 8 I think I got that from The Golden Compass book… I really don't remember but it sounds familiar

The line "What are you talking about, who are you?" in chapter 8 was also from Invader Zim.

The line "Welcome to reality, ass hole! And don't give me that 'You're so cruel!' bullshit!" from chapter 8 was from the web series Neurotically Yours.

Cosmo Epée means 'World Sword' in French. At least I'm pretty sure it translates to world sword… The website I used only translated one word at a time. That was before I discovered the other translating sites… btw, the Resistance primary language is French-ish.

In case you _didn't_ notice for one reason or another, most of the names in the Enzanasoshi world were from Shakespearian stuff or Jewish names (they sound prettier)

The chapter entitled 'The good die in this one' is named after an Ataris song by a similar name (The Hero Dies in This One).

Melek sings "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from the Phantom of the Opera.

The line "we have things to do. Fate of the world kind of stuff" was also from Invader Zim.

Hôtel du Théâtre in chapter 20 is an actual hotel in France. Also, the speech Hasmik makes is actually from a hotel guide from France. And Hasmik Karapetyan is an Armenian singer.

Didier Lambert de Loulay is an actual person (same booklet of French hotels) but is not a musician.

In chapter 23 Horicon calls Zuko 'Phantom,' a reference to The Phantom of the Opera.

The line "Signed your lord and master" in chapter 24 is from Neurotically Yours.

The line "Why don't royalty fight the war? Why do they always send the people who don't matter?" from chapter 25 is a play on the song 'BYOB' from System of the Down ("Why don't presidents fight the war? Why do they always send the poor?")

The Deku tree from Chapter 26 is a reference to Zelda. I'm pretty sure it is… Actually, the name of the chapter 'The Slick Criminal' is a reference to the song 'Smooth Criminal.'

The name of chapter 27 'In the End' is a Linkin Park song.

The line "You're ugly. And short" from chapter 27 is also from Invader Zim.

The line "I'm Sureiyaa, bitch!" is a reference to Rick James… hahaha, I wonder if anyone got that.

I forgot where I found the poem in chapter 29, but I didn't write it. However, the name of the chapter 'Wandering Child' is a reference to the Phantom of the Opera song.

The name of chapter 30 'Honest Mistake' is a reference to the song of the same name by The Bravery. Also, the Light and Dark world was designed by blackrose.

I honestly don't know why I wanted to say 'Like a killer at piñata party' in chapter 30…

The name of chapter 32 'I Hate Everything About You' is a reference to the song of the same name by Three Days Grace.

I'M CERIA!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! 8D

Or _am_ I…?

The line "I am right here! I can hear every word you are saying!" from chapter 36 is from the Fairly Odd Parents.

The phrase "dee dee dee" in chapter 36 is from Carlos Mencia.

The line "I'd say you eat like a pig, but see, pigs chew their food. So I say you eat more like a duck" in chapter 37 is a reference to a line from the Simpsons with similar structure.

A lot of the animals in chapter 37 are from a documentary I saw on Animal Planet called "The Future is Wild." Those animals are Gannetwhales, Reef Gliders, Ocean Phantoms, Silver Spiders, Spinks, and Babookaris.

The whole scenery for the Mexican world is based off the Mayan pyramids. I got to get a good look at them when I made my trip. I got to go to the top of them too, before they closed it off to the public : )

The name of chapter 42 'The Worst is Here to Stay' is a parody of the song 'The Best is Yet to Come' by Cy Coleman, with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh.

The speech Kurogane makes in chapter 43 ("Today, I saw the most adorable squirrel bird. It had lost its nut. ..) is a reference to a similar speech Derrren Brown makes in the show "Mind Control with Derren Brown." Also, a lot of the mind control techniques used by The Resistance is taken from the techniques he uses (the power of suggestion as opposed to actual mind control)

In case you didn't know, on July 2, 1947, an object crash landed on a ranch, approximately 75 miles northwest of Roswell, NM, leaving a large field of debris. The local air base at Roswell investigated after the rancher first reported it to Roswell authorities on July 6. On July 8, the Roswell Army Air Field (RAAF) announced it had recovered a "flying disk". A few hours after the initial "flying disk" press release, U.S. Army Air Force officials stated that it was not a UFO, but a weather balloon. When the question of what crashed was revived in the early 1980s, the "Roswell Incident" became a focus of conspiracy theorists, "abductees," and UFO investigators. The supposed aliens that 'crash' landed are none other than your favorite Avatar people! 8D

The lines "Great job disk, now return to me!" from chapter 49 (or chapter 50) is from The Simpsons.

The line "Tsuchi translations one, Sokka translations a jillion" in chapter 50 (51) is from Futurama.

The two pieces of wood perpendicular to each other with a frail man nailed to it in chapter 51 (52) was a crucifix, in case you didn't know. And the yellow box Tsuchi was eating from was a box of Cheerios. And Sokka and Tsuchi are watching The Three Stooges "Out West."

The name of chapter 52 (53) is actually the geographic coordination of Roswell (roughly anyways. I rounded the numbers…)

The song I sing at the end of chapter 52 (53) is from Family Guy.

The line "Alright! Let's do this!" in chapter 56 (57) is from Family Guy.

The name of chapter 57 (58) is a Biblical reference to Jesus rising on the third day.

The line "She's still alive? What the hell man?" in chapter 58 (59) is from Family Guy.

The whole drinking the blood of your kill for a gang initiation in chapter 59 (60) I think I got from a CSI episode, or it might have been from a similar show… I don't remember, I really don't… T-T.

The name of chapter 60 (61) is a reference to the Five stages of mourning/death: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.

My disclaimer, the one I always put at the beginning of my chapter (Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic) was not my concoction. That whole thing was the disclaimer for the animated series of Clerks. Hahaha, I love that show.


	64. Epilogue

Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except where specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

My goal for this epilogue is to leave you saying "What the fu-?" whether it is because you cannot believe the ending, I did not answer anything, I raised even MORE questions, or simply because you were anticipating something epic and I failed you. Either which way you go, I hope I leave you spitting those two and a half words :D

And now the quasi-possibly exciting conclusion of meh story! And remember two things:

1) there will be a second story (try and guess the title! It's in this chapter somewhere...)

and

2) I have a deviant art page. I may have uploaded new pictures since the last time I talked to you. NEHO, on with the fic!!!

Epilogue

'-'

_Eight Years Later…_

The sun stood off in the distance behind the mountains, dyeing the sky a deep crimson as violet slowly took over. The air was chilled, not as cold as the past winter evenings in the Fire Nation, but more relaxing. The small monastery sat on the base of the mountains and overlooked the valley with such beautiful scenery. Three women sat in the small garden of the courtyard as an occasional person passed or the occasional meadow vole scurried across the floor. A woman with carmine colored hair adjusted herself on the bench, entwining her fingers behind her long hair.

"Today was much too long," she groaned, closing her eyes. "I had to help with a wedding, do several readings, and then I had religion school for the children. Sometimes I wonder if these people even appreciate the words I'm teaching them."

"You need to relax," a woman with a choppy style of sholder length ebony hair replied to her. "It's not whether or not they care, but whether or not you believe it. Why else would you be here?"

"I'm here for protection reasons," the youngest of the group with deep chocolate hair tyed in a neat bun sighed. "But still, I do believe in what I preach."

"Protection?" the carmine haired woman queried. "From what?"

"Oh, I use to live on Engoku," the girl replied. "I use to be in a gang, but I had to run away from it. I never wanted to be in a gang in the first place, so I managed to escape."

"Good for you," the ebony haired woman smiled. "I'm still proud of you."

"Well, why are you here, Shihong?" the carmine hair woman asked.

"I… had to leave," the ebony haired woman responded. "I could have endangered my family."

"Family?" the carmine haired woman said in confusion. "Four months here and I didn't know you had a family. Who's in it?"

"My husband, my daughter, Fumiko, and my baby boy, Jiang," the ebony haired woman smiled.

"What about Kuzon?" asked the chocolate haired girl with confusion. "Your oldest son?"

The ebony haired woman nodded. "Oh, I forgot about him," she sighed. "Well, what about you, Sara? Why are you here?"

"I came here to find peace," the carmine haired woman said with pride. "I had issues with my family, and after my parents' deaths I felt I needed closure. So I came here and I found it."

"I think we all did," said the ebony haired woman calmly. "I certainly feel that way, do you, Yahzi?"

"Somewhat," the chocolate haired girl replied. "This life is much better than my old life, that's for sure." She frowned and pursed her lips, crossing both arms and legs. The group sat in silence again as the sun finally disappeared behind the mountain. The chocolate haired girl stretched her arms and quickly yawned. "It's been a long day for me," she sighed. "I want to do nothing more but sleep."

"I promised my family I'd send them a letter, anyways," the ebony haired woman smiled. "I think I'll head back to my hut now. You guys have a good evening, and I'll best you at Mahjong next time, Sara."

"You tell yourself that," the carmine haired woman smirked. "I'm on a roll now. You may have a hundred times before, but I've got you beat."

The ebony haired woman smiled. "Whatever," she chuckled. "You guys have a good evening." She stood to leave, but the chocolate haired girl stood with her.

"Can I follow you, Shihong?" the girl asked. "I want to talk to you."

"Of course," the ebony haired woman replied. "Good evening to you, Sara," she said to the carmine haired woman who was still sitting on the bench.

"Good evening to you, too," the woman responded casually. The two women walked away through the garden and onto the cobblestone path to the huts several meters away.

"I want to say something to you," the chocolate haired girl sighed. "I have a bad feeling about tonight."

"What kind of bad feeling?" the ebony haired woman said in a low tone.

"Something," the girl replied, "I don't know. I'm a little nervous. I don't want to be alone tonight."

"Don't worry," the woman said to her. "There's nothing to be concerned about."

"But I have that feeling, like the sinking feeling," the girl stuttered. "I don't want to go to my hut. I… I think someone ghastly may come. Can I please stay with you tonight?"

"It's okay, don't worry," the woman tried to console. "Everything will be fine."

"But, I really feel—"

"Please, Yousei," the woman snapped. "I don't need this. Can you just… not, please?"

The girl frowned, but did not push the subject further. "Okay," she said sadly. "I guess I'll see you in the morning?"

"Yes," the woman muttered. "Good night, Yousei."

"I don't want to sound mean, but you know how I feel about Yousei."

"Forgive me, Yahzi," the woman smiled weakly. "I will see you in the morning?"

The girl nodded reluctantly and continued walking down the path. The woman sighed, turning into her own road into the small hut. She unlocked the door and entered the dark house. "Hello," she said to the empty air, lighting the candle next to the door. "How's your day been?" The air did not answer, but the woman continued to talk. "Yahzi was telling me that she had a strange feeling about tonight, but I just hope she's wrong." Again the air did not answer, but still she continued to talk. "Did I get any mail?" No answer. "Okay, are you hungry? I am. I'll make dinner, but you have to promise not to drag your food into the den because you always bring it under the bench and it's really hard to fish out the crumbs." Again, there was no answer, but the woman heeded no attention. She walked to the back of the house where the kitchenette was and picked up the brown cane from the wall to assist her the rest of the way. She was half way to the kitchenette when a small thud from behind caught her off guard. She quickly turned around to see nothing behind her. She furrowed her brow but continued slowly through the faded house when the noise struck again. "Hyroki?" she called out quietly, but instead, she was greeted by another voice.

"Hello, Hiashi," the voice said from the shadows. "Seven years we've been searching and to find you under our noses, how ludicrous! I notice you let your hair grow back to its natural color, how sly."

"Who are you?" she stammered with anger, backing into the wall. "How did you find me?"

"Never mind that," the person responded, stepping out from the shadows. A dark black veil covered the face and head of the intruder, but the violet eyes, thin strapped shirt, silver arm warmers, loose calve length black bottoms and knee high boots to match outlined a frail framed woman. Upon her chest was a necklace with a strange symbol: a circle with a line going horizontally breaking a serpent shape figure. The symbol… she swore she had seen it before… "Your kind cannot live anymore, and you're one of the very few left—"

"Left?" she said in astonishment. "What do you mean?"

"What? Did you think we were only after you?" the woman scoffed. "There's thousands, maybe even millions of your putrid kind. If you thought you and your sister were alone in our search then you must really be so introverted. You may have eluded the Resistance for years, but not anymore. I found you, and I'm going to kill you."

"Wait, why are you going to kill me?" she cracked. "I haven't done anything! I'm not harming anyone! You can say you killed me, but please! I have… I have other things I need to worry about!"

"Your family?" the mysterious woman hissed, stepping forward. "They too must be killed. The war may have ended, but that's only the beginning. The war could start up again, so the four nations need to be as separate as possible! It can't happen again!"

"I don't care! You're not taking my children!" she snarled.

"They're abominations! They have to be destroyed! You, them, and the rest of the filthy mudbloods on this planet! There can't be any tainted humans alive!" The mystery woman drew a curvy blade with a crossed hilt, a small hook in the middle of the metal. "I came here to do a job and I'm going to do it!" In no less than a moment the woman shot herself at Hiashi, who quickly dodged her.

"I don't want to fight! I'm done fighting!" she shrieked, though her cries did not matter. She drew the sword from her cane and the two began to fence, Hiashi trying desperately to hit the woman with as much fire as she could, but to no avail. The woman slammed Hiashi into a shelf of porcelain jars, but Hiashi kicked her backwards into the bench. The anxiety of fighting made her want to stop but the fear of losing her children was worse to her. "You stay away from my family!" she growled, bending the shards from the broken jars to the woman. Some of the larger pieces missed, but the shards merely scratched her face.

The fight went on, Hiashi hoping that someone would hear the crashing and yelling from her hut, but as the time passed it seemed less and less likely that someone would come, making her wonder why no one would hear such loud noises. "Who are you?" Hiashi snarled at the woman, spinning a Catherine wheel around herself. The woman did not answer and ducked behind the bench. The woman disappeared from her spot and reappeared behind Hiashi. The woman swung her sword towards Hiashi, but she only managed to make it half way when Hiashi blocked the attack with her own, pushing the woman violently away from her. "Who are you!" she shouted again, thrusting her sword towards the woman. The lady turned to face her but Hiashi already had her sword in her direction, cutting the woman's face deeply, also the veil covering her face. She screamed in pain as her face began to bleed and her hand quickly shot to her face to hold in most of what she could, but the face was too familiar.

"Kurogane?" Hiashi gasped. Kurogane's eyes widened as she realized her mask had fallen. "Kurogane, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Shut up!" she snarled, and before Hiashi could react, she jumped to her feet and knocked Hiashi's sword out of her hand. Kurogane stood with her sword pointed at Hiashi's throat, cornering her in between the bench and the wall. "Shut up, Hiashi just shut up and let me do this!"

"No," Hiashi snapped back. "Why do you have to do this?"

"I-I-I just do!" Kurogane stammered. "Just let me kill you!"

"Kurogane, why?" Hiashi asked, almost pleaded. "You don't have to!"

"Yes I do!" Kurogane cried. "I have to kill you!"

"Kurogane, I saved you!" Hiashi said forcefully. "Remember the night of the Fire Navy party? With Hykiru? He was going to rape you, even kill you! I saved you! Why would you do this?"

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up, Hiashi!" Kurogane shrieked, tears streaming down her face. "Just let me do this!"

"You said men like him would never change," Hiashi said, forcing herself to be firm. "Why _men_? Who's making you do this?"

"Hiashi, shut up!" Kurogane repeated with a hoarse voice. "Shut up and let me do this!"

"He's just like Hykiru, isn't he?" Hiashi asked. "The man making you kill me?"

"You don't understand," Kurogane said roughly through tears. "He needs me. He needs me to do this."

"Whoever this is, no they don't!" Hiashi tried to convince her. "You can't let people like Hykiru push you around."

"Ha! If only he was just like Hykiru!" Kurogane cackled. "I would rather take Hykiru's abuse than take Keme's! Keme will always be worse than Hykiru. That's why I have to do this!"

"No, you don't," Hiashi stressed. "Just drop out, go into hiding. No one will find you."

"That's easy to say, but a lot harder to do," Kurogane hissed. "You tried it, and it didn't work out for you. I can't just hide. We invented the damn Cosmo Epée for God sakes! Where exactly would I hide, huh? They'll find me and they'll kill me, and all because I was nice to you. If I can kill the Fire Lord, then I can kill you."

"_You_ killed the Fire Lord?" Hiashi gasped.

"How do you think the damn war ended?" Kurogane cried. "It certainly wasn't the Avatar! For the love of- why am I even telling you this?"

"Kurogane, please, you don't have to kill me!" Hiashi pleaded.

"Shut the hell up!" Kurogane screeched. "Just let me do this!"

"Then can you just spare my children, please?" Hiashi begged. "Don't hurt them, please, just let them be! They're three-quarter pure blooded, so doesn't that count for anything?"

"No, it just doesn't" Kurogane stammered. "Hiashi, please, just shut up!"

"Kurogane, I haven't done anything to you! I saved you from Hykiru!"

"I already told you, I'd take him over Keme any day!" Kurogane cried, more tears streaming down her face. "I could take Hykiru, not Keme!"

"What has Keme done to you?" Hiashi asked calmly, but Kurogane did not respond, only trying her best to keep in the tears already streaming down her face. "You don't want to kill me. You don't have to kill me. Just say it was the wrong person. Say it was the wrong place. They don't have to know."

"He always knows," Kurogane said through her teeth. "He knew about you didn't he? There's no way in hell I'm going to let you live if I'd have to die. It's either going to be you, or it's going to be both of us."

"Kurogane," Hiashi whispered, mostly to herself, "please."

The two stared at each other for what seemed to be hours, just staring in hostile silence. Kurogane clenched her jaw to keep herself from saying anything else, tightening her grip on the hilt of her sword. Every second that passed made Hiashi wonder if Kurogane was going to kill her or if maybe she would spare her life. Hiashi so badly wanted to close her eyes and open them in hopes that Kurogane would disappear and she would wake up from the horrible nightmare she was in. There was no one there who happened to hear the commotion, no one there who was passing her hut to come in and help her. She was alone, like the night her father was killed, the night her mother was killed, anything she had to do herself. It did not happen, though. Through tears and with a final cry, Kurogane thrusted her sword deep into Hiashi's stomach. Both were shocked, Hiashi crumbling to the floor as Kurogane retracted her sword.

"I didn't want to do it," Kurogane said quietly, looking down at Hiashi as she attempted to keep her blood and stomach from spilling from her body, "believe me, Hiashi. But it was either you or both of us, and to be honest, you've become weak. I was sure you would kill me like you done so easily before to coutless other, more innocent than I, but I guess not this time." Hiashi did nothing. To her, there was no point in fighting. For twenty-five years she had fought to live, but now it seemed pointless.

Kurogane had not left even though her job was done. She held her stare with the fallen Hiashi, her face veiled with a look of pitty. "I can only say your family does not exist," Kurogane said quietly. "Maybe we were thinking of the wrong people. I… can forge something on the timeline, but I don't guarantee anything. The Resistance will always know." She stopped to take a deep breath, as if she was the one in pain, not Hiashi. "The sword was laced with nightshade, so I would assume you only have about less than ten minutes left if you don't bleed out by then. Just so you know." An as mysteriously as she appeared, she left quicker than the blink of an eye.

_Oh God, this is it_, Hiashi thought to herself. _So many years of hiding, so many years of suffering and it ends like this. Ten years ago I would have fought her, even killed her, but what would have been the point? And now I'm dying, away from my family, in hiding, no one even here to at least try and save me._ She knew there was no time. With what little body strength she had, she dragged herself to her desk which was across the room. She left a large bloody trail and forced herself to inhale, her body temperature confused from the nightshade. Soon she had managed to lift herself to grab a vial of ink, but not paper nor a brush. She did not care, though. Her body began to tremble and her vison began to blur, so writing on paper or with a brush would only mess her up. With as much energy she could muster, she wrote on the floor:

_To my family:_

_To my husband, I love you and thank you for loving me for who I am. To my children I I love you, too, and Kuzon, I am sorry for everything. Your father will tell you why. But I only hope you can forgive me._

_And to Zuko, __I will always regret-_

She stopped writing and dragged her thumb through the last four words and instead wrote:

_I'm glad you never found me._

_Hiashi_

Her hand would not stay still for anything else. A note that would have normally taken her no more than a minute to write wasted six minutes of what time she had left. She dropped her hand on the vial, splattering the floor with black and intermixing with her blood.

_Lord, in these past years I've asked that my running would stop, that I wouldn't have to hide anymore. There was no way for me to hide on another planet, as Zuko was the only one who could get me there, and he would refuse no matter how I asked. With this I don't have to run anymore. I don't have to run…_

And with her final minutes, she curled her knees into her stomach, the pain escalading throughout her fridgid body until she could not move or breathe. And with her final breaths she whispered to herself, "Take me up in your hands, let me feel no more pain… Take me up in your hands, let me feel no more pain… Take me up in your hands, let me feel no more pain…

"Let no one ever find me…"


	65. Speak No Evil See No Lies

Speak No Evil. See No Lies  
by Halfatheory357

Speak no evil  
See no lies  
Hear no pain  
Sounds easy, no?  
Can you hear it?  
Can you see it?  
Can you do it?  
Not just an action  
A way of life  
The things I do  
That amazes people  
Only there if I'm perfect  
Can't do anything  
According to you  
But when I'm perfect  
I'm amazing  
Tell me I'm special  
When I'm not perfect  
Tell me I can  
When I'm flawed  
Let me believe  
The lies you say  
When I am perfect  
But is that right?  
Am I really amazing?  
You say so  
But then take it back  
Because I'm not perfect  
So am I amazing?  
I don't know  
It's all the same  
You all are  
You all lie  
Your spiteful words  
It only hurts  
No good will come  
Forget it  
Fall away  
Your words can't help  
Speak your evil  
I see Lies  
Hear my pain

Sounds easy, no?

.

.

.

Thank you for tuning in, expect the sequel **DECEMBER 7, 2009!**


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